Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the works of three indigenous documentary film-makers from Kashmir who present an observational and feministic approach towards countering the colonial narratives of state in representing Kashmir. It explores the relation of film-makers and the subjects to decolonize narratives.

Paper long abstract:

It has been more than seven decades since Kashmir is under the Indian occupation and has been constantly subjugated by different war tactics of colonialism. Indian media including films have been at forefront in presenting the ‘normalcy’ narrative of Kashmir to rest of the world. Cinema in the recent times has witnessed a dynamic change in resistance discourse and presented counter hegemonic narratives to blur the agencies of colonial gaze and political aesthetics. The present paper discusses work of three contemporary indigenous documentary film makers of Kashmir trying to resist the narratives of colonial power and exploring the possibilities of excavation of ‘subjugated knowledges’. The documentaries include, Jashn-e- Azaadi (How we Celebrate Freedom, 2007) by Sanjay Kak, Khoon Diy Baarav (Blood Leaves Its Trail, 2015) by Iffat Fatima and Till then the Roads Carry Her, 2015 by Uzma Falak. These documentaries explore issues of violence and memory in Kashmir. The first film interweaves the historical account of Kashmir issue and presents the lives of common Kashmiris into the day-to-day violence. The film strives towards the struggle of self-determination of Kashmir. The other two films are based on collaborative feminist film-making from South Asia. The films attempt to challenge the dominant narratives of victimhood of Kashmiri women by bringing up the stories of resistance and the spaces created by women agencies to contextualize their experiences. All these documentaries reinforce the interconnectedness of cinema, indigenous film-makers and their relationship with their subjects to counter the state narratives and explore the invisible histories.