A first $10,000 award is granted to the Indian filmmakers Sarmishtha Biswas and Debanjan Sengupta for their project Without a Country

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A 10 year-long journey into the depth of one of the world’s last stateless lands, stuck in a geopolitical limbo for decades on the international border territory between India and Bangladesh – only to uncover the hitherto untold story of one ordinary family, who happened to be born there and condemned to live their life without any country, nationality or citizenship since the moment of their birth.

Yet, despite getting trapped in such a precarious situation of perennial statelessness, they long deep for a legitimate, dignified human existence, and desperately chase their long-cherished dream for citizenship against all possible odds.

The film intimately traces their bizarre struggle in search of an ‘identity’ – citizenship and a nation where they could belong. But finally, when they see their dream for Indian citizenship within reach, the recent political decisions threaten to destroy their dream forever and put their entire community in real danger.

In a time of widespread turmoil and unrest, will they ever achieve their cherished dream – a home they can call nation, a country where they will be a legitimate, rightful citizen?