Vivek

The battle between faith and reason is universal and ongoing. In India, the world’s largest democracy, the ideology that murdered Mahatma Gandhi has finally captured power. Murder and mind control are being applied to dismantle a secular democracy that once aspired to the values of enlightenment and non-violence. As accusations fly of “eating cow meat” or “treason of Mother India,” minorities and all those who fight for the poor bear the brunt of rising Hindu majoritarianism and a complicit corporate media. Prominent Indian documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan fearlessly examines the far right at huge rallies where fascism is normalized, but also introduces us to rationalists who, despite appearing on hit lists, lead a growing resistance. Through his masterful lens and elaborate film architecture, this journey into detail finally reveals the big picture. It leaves us with the feeling that we’ve been to India, smelled the streets, met the people and shared the empathy that shines from many of them. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)