Screening of 'Dreaming Taj Mahal' on Sept 20

[Delhi Film Archive [DFA]]

Dear Friends

 

This is to let you know that my film DREAMING TAJ MAHAL will be screened  on  Tuesday, September 20, 2011, at 7pm in the Amaltas (basement Theatre) at India Habitat Centre, Delhi. 

 

It would be great if you could come... And also if you could circulate this mail among family, friends and colleagues.

 

The synopsis of the film is pasted below as text

 

Many thanks

Nirmal

DREAMING TAJ MAHAL

Produced & Directed by

NIRMAL CHANDER (2010, 51 mins, India)

chander...@gmail.com

M: +91-9910020648

SYNOPSIS

Haidar, a taxi driver, dreams of going to India to see the Taj Mahal. The choice doesn’t seem strange for a man who believes that “Love is everything”. The only problem is he lives in Pakistan!

Why is Haidar's dream so impossible to achieve? Is it because he is a Pakistani, a Muslim, seen by the Indian government as a potential spy or a terrorist? Or is it because he is a common man with no strings to pull?

India and Pakistan have a long-standing relationship of suspicion and hostility. They have been to war four times and continuing terrorist attacks in India make Haidar’s quest for a visa look almost impossible.

To see how Haidar's dream can be given a voice, and what it means for all of us, I travel from India to Pakistan.

Haidar's solution for peace is simple. If ordinary citizens of both countries are allowed to interact with each other, they will realise not only are they historically and culturally close but they also have similar problems - from potholed roads to corrupt politicians.

But can his dream come true?

FESTIVALS :

Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival, October 2010

SIGNS, Trivandrum, Kerala, February 2011

Worldfilm 2011 – Tartu Festival of Visual Culture, March 2011

Tiburon International Film Festival, April 2011

Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival, April 2011

Zanzibar International Film Festival, June 2011

Bollywood and Beyond, Stuttgart, Germany, July 2011