After seven successful editions, We Care Filmfest, India’s first travelling film festival on disability issues, launched its eighth edition with 27 documentaries and short films and a feature film made by a team of disabled people. The festival kickstarted with the screening of its 13 best films, which will travel to various cities and return to Mumbai on February 9.
Festival director Satish Kapoor says that the purpose of the festival is not just to create awareness about disability issues, but to also sensitise people towards their portrayal in cinema. “There are a lot of misconceptions, myths and prejudices surrounding disability issues and a majority of them originate in our films, which in turn are passed on to society,” he says.
He cites a few examples too. “A blind man is always a beggar and a man on crutches is always cruel to others. A disabled character is included in the plot only to add drama and make the audience feel sympathetic towards the film. The only way to change all this is to sensitise people through cinema that challenges these stereotypes.”