Writing With Fire
Post-film Panel Discussion
Centrepiece at Westside
FRIDAY 29 April | 7:00PM
Sun Theatre
This event has now ended. Tickets no longer available.
Post-film Panel Discussion
Join us after the film for a panel discussion.
Film Synopsis
Nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards® in addition to receiving the 2021 Sundance Audience Award, Writing with Fire is an inspiring documentary about the trailblazing journalists behind India’s all-female news network (Khabar Lahariya) and their tenacious grassroots reporting.
Led by fearless chief correspondent Meera, the network investigates everything from sectarianism to elections and corruption. Their bravery, which reverberates throughout this powerful documentary, defiantly contests traditional gender roles, exalting journalism as a key piece of any democracy in the process.
Directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh are filmmakers based in New Delhi. Together, they run Black Ticket Films, an award-winning media strategy agency, production house, and independent voice.
Film Info
Melbourne Premiere
Director: Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh
Country: India
Year: 2021
Duration: 93 minutes
Language: In Hindi with English Subtitles
Genre: Documentary
Awards: Winner World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change Sundance Film Festival; Winner Audience Award World Cinema Documentary Sundance Film Festival
Screening Location: Sun Theatre, 8 Ballarat St, Yarraville VIC 3013 | Plan your visit to the Sun Theatre
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Festival Selection
Supporting Partner
Post-film Panel Discussion
Dr Shweta Kishore (moderator)
Shweta lectures in Screen and Media at RMIT University. She is a documentary practitioner and author of Indian Documentary Film and Filmmakers: Independence in Practice. Shweta’s research focuses on Indian documentary, feminist film, and film festivals and she has curated documentary strands for Melbourne International Film Festival, Kochi Muziris Biennale (India) and The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre (Vietnam). She is currently working on a creative research project that examines contemporary feminist art practices in Vietnam.
Asmita Mahire-Singh
Asmita Mahire-Singh is a Human Resource Information System Specialist by profession.
Originally from India, Asmita has spent her childhood in Mumbai, Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Africa. She moved to New Zealand at the age of 18 & spent 15 years there before moving to Australia 4 years ago.
Her grandparents & parents, all staunch believers in equality and social activists who have dedicated their lives for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden have been her biggest role models. Asmita Mahire-Singh is a member of Ambedkar International Mission Society, a group of people who believe in the ideas and philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar, a pioneer & an icon in the anti-caste movement. She is part of Soka Gakkai International Australia (SGIAU) & was a youth leader in SGINZ for a decade, a grass-roots Buddhist organisation whose mission is to promote world peace.
She enjoys singing & is part of her local church choir.
Raising awareness & working for causes such as gender equality and the fight against domestic violence, racism & caste discrimination through discussions, speaking at webinars & volunteering at events is her passion.
Dr Vikrant Kishore
Dr Vikrant Kishore is a filmmaker, academic and a journalist, he likes to integrate traditional cultural practices with new media technologies to archive, create digital exposition, collaborate on multi-media media exhibitions and festivals. He has authored and edited books on Indian cinema, celebrity culture, and cultural heritage. Dr Kishore’s areas of research are Indian cinema, intangible cultural heritage, reality television programmes, and caste issues. Currently, he has been capturing stories of cultural flows and its impact on Indian diaspora in Australia. His forthcoming web-series is titled “Resisting Caste Discrimination in the Australian South Asian Diaspora”. Dr Kishore is a board member of the Australia India Film Council, a member of the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Regional Advisory Council, and an advisor in the Scanlon Research Foundation.
Filmmaker, Academic, Author, Journalist
Website: www.vikrantkishore.com
Dilpreet Kaur Taggar
Born and raised in India, Dilpreet is an independent journalist. In 2020 she launched South Asian Today, Australia's first media start-up for South Asian women and non-binary peoples. She continues to shape and work on anti-caste, progressive and feminist media diverse ways of storytelling.
Rupali S Bhamare
Dr. Rupali S Bhamare is a Researcher, academician. She has completed her Bachelor and master in Structural Engineering from Pune University (India) and Completed her PhD from University of Melbourne, Australia on the Earthquake analysis and Introducing new method of building assessment for earthquake resistance structures. Recently she has completed Masters in Education. She is passionate to amend curriculum to introduce 21 st Century skills to younger generation. She had worked as a structural Consultant, Lead Researcher on the Earthquake resistant buildings and other projects. Also, she was Director for the ACE Research Services. She is currently affiliated with Monash College, Monash University, Melbourne, as a unit leader for STEM units. She is member of AIM Australia for more than 10 years. She is also involved in spreading awareness amongst women about
1) equal participation and liberalization
2) Women’s Participation in World Economy and Gender Discrimination
3) Traditional women in Contemporary India
4) Importance of women participation in upliftment of society. Actively involved in preventing domestic violence, family violence in partner with southeast community link.