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NEW
DELHI: Over 20 feature and short films on Buddhist philosophy
and thought from seven countries will be screened during
'Inner Path', a five-day festival of understanding Buddhist
thought and philosophy.
Union Minister for Culture Kumari Selja will inaugurate
the festival on 27 April at Azad Bhavan of the Indian
Council for Cultural Relations. Council president Karan
Singh and director-general Suresh K Goel will also be
present at the event.
The
inauguration will be followed by 'Buddhist Sacred Dances
and Rituals' by a six-member dance troupe from Sri Lanka.
Prior
to the inauguration of the main event, the exhibition
'The Greatest Journey of Ideas: Spread of Buddhism'
- a select range of photographs of Buddhist Art in 19
countries by art historian-filmmaker- photographer Benoy
K Behl will be inaugurated the same day.
Ten
films by Behl are also being screened as part of the
Festival.
'The
Inner Path' is being organised by the Network for
Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) and the Devki Foundation
and is the first International Buddhist Festival in
the country of his birth.
The
festival, which is expected to become an annual feature,
has been conceptualised by film critic and NETPAC
president Aruna Vasudev, and is being held in partnership
with filmmaker Suresh Jindal, chairman of the Devki
Foundation.
Vasudev said the features, documentaries, and shorts
are coming from Bhutan, Argentina, Korea, Sri Lanka,
China, Japan and India.
Renowned
directors and film personalities from these countries
will be present. They include director Yoon Yong-jin
of 'Hal', Srilankan film star Thumindu Dodantenna
of 'Sankara', 'Amongst the Clouds' by Edward A. Burger;
the documentary 'Peace is every step' by Gaetano Kazuo
Maida, and renowned director Hector Kumarasiri whose
film 'Abinikmana' will have its world premiere here.
NETPAC
had organised a festival of films on Buddhism way
back in 1995. Vasudev added that 'Trishagini' by Nabendu
Ghosh which was screened in 1995 will also be shown,
apart from the ten films by Behl, and Im Kwon-Taek's
'Come Come Come Upwards'.
Behl
said he had been documenting the history of Buddhism
and had made 12 films on the subject.
Starting from 27 April and slated to go on till 1
May, the festival at the Azad Bhavan (Indian Council
of Cultural Relations) will present Buddhist philosophy
and aesthetics through various creative forms - a
dance performance, films, an exhibition of photographs,
and selected art works, discourses, discussions and
debates.
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