Ocean of Tears
{{for|the song by Caroline Polachek|Ocean of Tears (song)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Ocean of Tears
| image =
| caption =
| director = Billal A Jan
| producer = Rajiv Mehrotra
| writer =
| starring =
| music =
| cinematography =
| editing =
| distributor =
| released =
| runtime = 27 minutes
| country = India
| language = Kashmiri
| budget =
}}
Ocean of Tears is a 2012 short documentary film directed by Billal A Jan
{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/a-conspiracy-of-silence/article5452791.ece |title=A conspiracy of silence |last=Bhattacharya |first=Budhaditya |date=13 December 2013 |work=The Hindu |access-date=17 November 2018 |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}
in Kashmiri produced by Rajiv Mehrota under the banner of Public Service Broadcasting Trust of India (PBST). The film is a documentary of the crimes and human rights violations imposed on the people of Kashmir, especially on women.
{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xV0lDAAAQBAJ&q=ocean+of+tears+bilal&pg=PT222 |title=Filming Reality: The Independent Documentary Movement in India |last=Chatterji |first=Shoma A. |publisher=SAGE Publications India |year=2015 |isbn=9789351505433 |chapter=Chapter 8 Out of the Box}}
The film covers the mass rape incident of Kunan Poshpora.
{{cite web |url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Dec/14/-ocean-of-tears-screening-on-saturday-11.asp |title=Ocean of Tears |date=14 December 2012 |website=Greater Kashmir |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217042526/https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Dec/14/-ocean-of-tears-screening-on-saturday-11.asp |archive-date=17 December 2012 |access-date=17 November 2018}}
{{cite web |url=http://english.samaylive.com/nation-news/676520296/bilal-bhat-special-correspondent-movie-srinagar-jammu-kashmir-na.html |title=A documentary movie on Kashmir lands in controversy |publisher=english.samaylive.com |access-date=2012-12-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230203053/http://english.samaylive.com/nation-news/676520296/bilal-bhat-special-correspondent-movie-srinagar-jammu-kashmir-na.html |archive-date=30 December 2012 |df=dmy-all}}
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.
Production
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.
{{Cite web |url=http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=21858 |title=GoI helps Kashmir's 'Ocean of Tears' reach nation, world |date=18 November 2012 |website=Kashmir Times |access-date=21 November 2018}}
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.
{{Cite news |url=https://kashmirlife.net/valley-of-tears-9361/ |title=Valley of Tears |last=Irfan |first=Shamas |date=5 November 2012 |work=Kashmir Life |access-date=21 November 2018 |language=en-GB}}
A team of four young women assisted in the filming.
{{Cite news |url=http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/ocean-of-tears-selected-for-international-festival/ |title='Ocean of Tears' selected for international festival |date=18 February 2013 |work=Daily Excelsior |access-date=21 November 2018 |language=en-US}}
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.
Obstacles to screening
The film was banned from screening by the University of Kashmir and the Aligarh Muslim University on their respective campuses. It was reported in 2013 that the only screening of the film in India was at the film festival of the Federation of Film Societies of India. Outside India, it was screened at the Human Rights International Film Festival and the Al Jazeera film festival in Doha.{{cite web |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127101353/http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=9339 |title=KU bans screening of 'Ocean of Tears' |date=15 December 2012 |website=Kashmir Times |url=http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=9339 |archive-date=27 January 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=17 November 2018 }}
{{Cite news |url=http://tehelka.com/2013/05/govt-sponsored-kashmir-documentary-struggles-with-unofficial-ban/ |title=Why The Government Doesn't Want You To Watch This Documentary On Kashmir |last=Wani |first=Riyaz |date=7 May 2013 |work=Tehelka |access-date=17 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201021237/http://tehelka.com/2013/05/govt-sponsored-kashmir-documentary-struggles-with-unofficial-ban/ |archive-date=1 February 2016}}
{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Ocean-of-Tears-screened-under-police-protection/articleshow/30471659.cms |title=Ocean of Tears screened under police protection - Times of India |last=Prakash |first=Asha |date=15 February 2014 |work=The Times of India |access-date=17 November 2018}}
It was also reported that the activists of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) attempted to block the screening of the film at a film festival in Thrissur in 2014, but the local police cleared the activists, allowing the screening to proceed.
{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-workers-stop-screening-of-Ocean-of-Tears-at-film-festival/articleshow/30453942.cms |title=RSS workers stop screening of 'Ocean of Tears' at film festival |last=Shyam |first=P.V. |date=15 February 2014 |work=The Times of India |access-date=17 November 2018}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:2012 short documentary films
Category:Indian short documentary films
Category:Films set in Jammu and Kashmir
Category:Kashmiri-language films
Category:Documentary films about violence against women
Category:Films about rape in India