A $5,000 grant was awarded to an Indian filmmaker, Arya Rothe, for her project A Rifle and a Bag

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Fifteen families that abandoned the Naxalite movement under the Government’s Surrender Policy built a village at the edge of the jungle. Couples formed in the Naxalites’ arranged marriage system, former Maoist leaders, women commando chiefs, and rebels who joined young, now share the same settlement, attempting to reintegrate as civilians. However, their aspirations to social esteem are shielded by the community’s unease towards their bloody past. Ironically, for many, an option is to join the police force because they make valuable informants. Some are seeking to reconnect with their families, but shame deters them. Others are in a limbo of odd jobs while waiting for the policy pledges to be implemented. As their initial optimism is eroding, their sense of identity is also being challenged.