Vote for Documentary Film "April 6th"

By: Chandam Netraj *

Please vote for documentary film 'April 6th' (Production start: August 4th, Manipur, India). This is a shooting poverty online voting competition by Oxfam International. The film reflects the impact of arm violence, extrajudicial killings, illegal and irregular arms trade in Manipur, India.

Please share/forward this message to all your friends, relatives and organization. Help us to save Manipur.

A still from "April 6th"

"April 6th is a film about Takhellambam Renu, a 28 year-old widow who lost her husband three years back when he was shot dead by the State security forces on April 6, 2007. Since that tragic incident, Renu has been trying to piece together her shattered world. She has established her own organization called Extra Judicial Execution Victims Families Manipur (EEVFAM) to fight against the armed violence.

Renu married her husband - Mung - on April 6, 2005. The marriage was opposed by her family as it was an interreligious & intercaste marriage. From that moment on, Renu never turned back to her parent. April 6 is Renu's landmark, because it was the day she married, the day her husband was shot dead and the day she decided to start a new and courageous life fighting against the human suffering caused by armed violence."

A still from "April 6th"

You vote like this:
1) go to www.shootingpoverty.org
2) select the film "April 6th"
3) click on any of the small symbols and vote by sharing the film on twitter/facebook/digg or orkut
And then tell everyone to do the same!

Lastly, The Indian High Commission in USA has banned to screen the film '"April 6th'" at United Nation first General Assembly held at New York.

Thank you all with regards
Chandam Netraj (Director of the film)
Follow him on twitter @ Netmanipur

Some more on this Film: (added on November 03 2010)

The Govt. of India has banned a film from Manipur to screen at United Nation General Assembly\'s First committee on Disarmament and Interational Security held at New York on 21st October 2010.

The film is a project for shooting poverty supported by Oxfam International and it is one of the three films which was selected by Oxfam International in their World Documentary film Treatment writing competition. The three films are from Burundi (South africa), Brazil and India. And the film "April 6th" from Manipur is the only film who got selected from India.

The film reflects about the impact of extrajuducial killings, illegal and irregular arms trade in Manipur

Synopsis of the film: Takhellambam Renu is only 28 years old young widow who lost her husband three years back. Her husband, Thangkhamung hangzo, who was more popularly known among his friends and relatives as just 'Mung' was shot dead by the State security forces during an incident on April 6th, 2007. On receiving the news of death of her husband, Renu behaved like a mad woman. She didn't cry due to shock and her whole body was numb. She could never fathom that the body of her husband was lying cold in the mortuary.

Since that tragic incident, Renu has been trying to piece together her shattered world listening to the religious teaching. She is now serving as an evangelist for Evangelical Baptist Church and established her own organization called Extra Judicial Execution Victims Families Manipur (EEVFAM) to fight against the armed violence. Renu eloped with Mung on April 6th, 2005. The marriage was opposed by her family as it was an interreligious & intercaste marriage.

From that moment on, Renu never turned back to her parent. Till today she never took any support from her family. According to Renu, the dead of her husband is a milestone to start a new and courageous life. The unforgettable day of April 6th is Renu's landmark, because it was the day she eloped and the day her husband was shot dead. This is a film about a vulnerable woman whose life changes on 'April 6th'.

Director's Statement: One year back, I was invited to training cum workshop by Loitongbam Babloo, (Director, Human Right Alert, and Manipur). I met more than 50 women whose husbands had been killed in various incidents in the last few years. I asked every detail about the women as I am always interested to make film on armed violence and human right so that the rest of the world understands how these women dire circumstances and survived in the far eastern horizon of India.

What are their dreams and hopes? This is a question most of the women didn't have the answers. Among them, one of them has an answer and that woman was Renu. This is what makes Renu different from her peer. She believes in herself and in the future of her fellow widows. She has Hope.

From that moment, I was hoping to tell the story of Renu to the global audience. As I got to know Renu, I insisted that she should tell her story and the world had to know what had gone on during the last five/six years of armed violence that Manipur has faced.

The most amazing story of Renu is April 6th. What will be on Renu's mind when April 6 comes? April 6th is coming every year. This is why I choose April 6th to be the title of my film. As a film lovers, I believed that we should support this film which was tried to showed at United Nations that what is exactly happenning in Manipur.