In collaboration with Prithvi Theatre
Presents
SERUPPU (Footwear)
A Film by Amudhan R.P.
On
Monday, 27 th August, 7 PM
At Prithvi House,
Opp Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Mumbai 400049.
More information is available through
www.prithvitheatre.org / vikalp.prithvi@gmail.com
*ENTRY FREE, LIMITED SEATS.
*FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED BASIS.
SERUPPU (Footwear)
Amudhan R.P./India/2007/74 mins
In Tamil with English subtitles
The Presidential Order 1950: Para 3, by the Union Government of India,
states 'No person who professes a religion different from Hindu, shall be
deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.'
Seruppu is a socio-cultural documentary on the lives of Catholic
Arundhatiyars (Dalits/harijans/untouchables) of Dharmanathapuram, an old
slum located at the heart of Tiruchirappalli in Tamilnadu, a southern state
in India.
The people of Dharmanathapuram are involved in making footwear, one of the
traditional caste based occupations within India.
To rephrase Para 3 of the Presidential Order 1950, Dalits or the people from
the 'lower castes' within the Indian caste system, who do not follow Hindu
religion (including those who have converted to Christianity or Islam), are
not considered as Scheduled Caste. They can't avail of the quota reserved
for the Scheduled Caste in jobs or educational institutions or any other
already non-existent support mechanism that is otherwise available to a
Scheduled Caste according to the Indian Constitution.
Besides, the upper caste Hindus who have converted to Christianity continue
to follow their caste based practices of discrimination, exclusiveness,
untouchability, and at times violence against their fellow Christians who
happen to be Dalits as well.
This film brings out the discrimination and struggle faced by the Catholic
Arundhatiyars of Dharmanathapuram who also face stiff competition from the
increasing mechanization of the modes of production in the footwear
manufacturing industry in the era of globalization.
About the Filmmaker
Amudhan R.P.(Director / Producer / Cameraperson / Editor) has been making
films since 1996 beginning with Leelavati. Seruppu is his most recent work
after Pee-The Shit and Notes From the Crematorium.
Amudhan is actively engaged with Marupakkam, a media action group based in
Madurai involved in organising regular screenings, video workshops and film
festivals. Marupakkam also organizes the Madurai Film Festival every year.
Awards/Festivals
Muvattupuzha Documentary Film Festival 2007, Kerala
Moving People Film Festival 2007, WSF,Kenya
VIBGYOR Documentary and Short Film Festival 2007, Kerala
Third Prize, Jeevika - South Asian Documentary Film Festival 2007 , New
Delhi
More information on the film available on
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