Ocean of Tears
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- 2012
| Ocean of Tears | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Billal A Jan |
| Produced by | Rajiv Mehrotra |
Release date |
|
Running time | 27 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kashmiri |
Ocean of Tears is a 2012 short documentary film directed by Billal A Jan in Kashmiri produced by Rajiv Mehrota under the banner of Public Service Broadcasting Trust of India (PBST).[1] The film is a documentary of the crimes and human rights violations imposed on the people of Kashmir, especially on women.[2] The film covers the mass rape incident of Kunan Poshpora.[3][4]
The film, supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was banned from screening by the University of Kashmir and the Aligarh Muslim University on their respective campuses. Attempts were also made by the activists of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to block the film from being screened.[5][6][7][8]
Bilal conceived of the idea of exploring the situation of the women of the region while filming an earlier documentary on child labour in Kashmir. The original proposal was for a much longer film, but it was later shortened on the advice of the PSBT.[9] The film was shot over 10 days on location in the villages of Kunan Poshpora and Shopian. It took several negotiations with the villagers before they would consent to tell their stories on camera; at first only the men were willing, but after four visits the women agreed to be filmed.[10] A team of four young women assisted in the filming.[11]
The PSBT recommended that the 78 minutes originally planned for be cut to 26 minutes, so as to fall under the short film category, and requested that a disclaimer accompany the film. The Censorship certificate was then granted.[10]