Film festival dares to air controversial new films (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Film festival dares to air controversial new films

4:26pm Monday 12th September 2005 in News By Steve Teale

The first film made in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, a drama-documentary about Muslim bombings which is banned in India, and an appearance by a Muslim Bollywood star who has outraged the industry by kissing a Hindu actor on screen are all part of a controversial line-up at Bradford's Bite the Mango festival next month.

The celebration of world cinema, now in its 11th year at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, focusses on censorship, screening some films that are banned in their native countries.

They include the UK premiere of Hindi drama-documentary Black Friday which re-creates the events surrounding the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, the most destructive in India's history.

Director Anurag Kashyap will introduce the film at the opening gala.

Other premieres include Jihad, about the struggles of a Palestinian/American living in pre-9/11 New York, and Underexposure, made in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, which takes an uncensored look at life in Iraq.

Muslim actress Meera will be talking about the furore caused by her on-screen kiss with Hindu co-star Ashmit Patel in controversial Bollywood movie Nazar.

Festival director Irfan Ajeeb said: "Bollywood films come in a nice package, but many of the films we're showing this year are low-budget and raw. Over the last three years we have intentionally steered away from Bollywood, we're more interested in showing the work of independent film-makers and showing people in the West life in other countries beyond the news footage. We're showing a diverse range of films from 30 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

"Watching a film is the perfect way to learn about a different culture, the language, the clothes, the landscape from film-makers who have their own approach."

Irfan does not expect protests from Muslims against controversial Pakistani actress Meera's appearance at the festival. Meera caused outrage by breaking the Bollywood taboo of kissing an actor in a film - the fact that he's a Hindu prompted further controversy.

"The film won't be shown in Pakistan but Muslims are westernised over here, we're used to kissing scenes on television, " said Irfan.

Pakistan is Bite the Mango's 'Country in Focus' and there's a programme of Pakistani films from the golden era of the 1950s and 60s and the past year.

"I attended the Karachi Film Festival last year and was pleased to see a different side to the films I grew up with, " said Irfan. "The Lahore film industry, Lollywood, is on its knees and a new generation of filmmakers are reflecting the state the country is in."

The festival also looks at the role of women in African cinema, with a section called Mama Africa. There's also an actionpacked celebration of Hong Kong cinema, Heroes of the East.

Budding film-writers will develop script ideas in masterclasses and an "open mic" session gives people three minutes to pitch their ideas to a panel including veteran Indian director Mahesh Bhatt. The festival also remembers international film personalities who died this year, including Ismail Merchant who directed Howard's End and The Remains of the Day. His film In Custody will be shown in tribute.

Bite the Mango runs from September 23 to 29. For details ring 0870 701 0200.