Gandhi film set for early release
A DOCUMENTARY inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi has been completed and may be released earlier than expected, partly in the wake of growing solidarity and support for George Floyd.
Floyd was an African-American who died during police arrest in Minneapolis on May 25.
Protests in response to both Floyd’s death, and more broadly to police violence against black Americans, spread across the US and internationally.
Anant Singh’s Videovision Entertainment announced the completion of the documentary recently.
A statement said: “Ahimsa-Gandhi: The Power of The Powerless was produced to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, but that it also comes at a time when humanity needed reminding of Gandhi’s teachings of peace and non-violence, especially as support for George Floyd grows globally.”
In an interview with the POST, Singh explained that originally the plan was for the documentary to be launched at international film festivals in Toronto and Venice in August and September, but with the Covid-19 pandemic it was not known if the events would go ahead.
“But added to that is the fact that given what has happened around George Floyd, the relevance of this film is more significant now than ever.
“So now we are looking at having discussions around releasing it sooner both in South Africa and elsewhere in the world,” said Singh.
He said the film spoke to the conscience of humanity at a time when people across the world were grappling with issues around race, humanity and human rights.
Singh said the film unpacked issues of oppression and the denial of basic freedoms to people by those who were in positions of power and who protected their positions by inflicting violence on innocent people.
He said it brought to the fore the impact of the Gandhian message of non-violence worldwide: how it inspired Martin Luther King jr, John Lewis, Barack Obama and the Civil Rights Movement in the US; the Solidarity Movement in Poland as well as Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid Struggle in South Africa.
“Martin Luther King very much acknowledged the teachings and inspirations of Mahatma Gandhi. Policies of non-violence were crucial.
“On the one hand you have the brutality of the police, which was prevalent then and is still prevalent now, and then you have the rebellion that is happening globally against that oppression that has been relatively peaceful.
“I think that reinforces the power of people and the power of the non-violence ideology,” said Singh.
“With the authority that the police have, where people of authority are taking that authority too far, and we’ve seen it here in South Africa, even during the lockdown, it is so essential that we begin to look towards dealing with issues of violence in a more understanding and sympathetic way. Let humanity and ubuntu prevail, not only in our country but all around the world.”
In the film, Singh said writer-director Ramesh Sharma captured the essence of Gandhi’s philosophy as he took on the might of the British Empire, and the profound influence his teachings have had on the world and why it remained relevant today more than ever.
The film features the song Ahimsa performed by U2 and AR Rahman, with the lyrics written by Bono and Rahman, which complements the spirit of the film.
“Ramesh and I did the Emmy nominated film, The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl together. It has been almost 10 years and then this project came along so we are very happy to collaborate on it.
“This is very much a project that we feel passionate about.
“Gandhi’s journey, the idea of non-violence, a peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy, these components are quite valued in our story, but I think it’s also getting more and more relevant worldwide.
“Having the collaboration of Bono, U2 and AR Rahman brings a global context to the music.”
Sharma said the film showed how Gandhi’s message went beyond the shores of India.
“He used non-violence as a powerful tool. Today, it still serves as an inspiration to societies fighting injustice.”
Singh said the film’s release with various television networks and streaming platforms internationally and locally was under way.