By TCN Staff Writer,
Eidiyaan is a story of a little Kashmiri girl, Sadaf and her mother. The family has suffered the tragedy of custodial disappearance of Sadaf’s brother. The film tries to untangle such a serious problem in a very sophisticated way. It looks from the eye of a little child who inherits this tragedy, the emotional struggle behind the families who suffer from such disappearances.
The script deliberately chooses the day of Eid to bring the disparity of celebration and tragedy. The director continuously weaves the film around this conflict which makes it joyful and yet heartbreaking experience. It has tiny, hidden metaphors which convey the very complex emotions. The scene of a little girl writing a letter to her disappeared brother complaining that how her mother only loves him, and not her, makes you feel not only compassionate for the character but angry with the situation. The other two characters of the film are Sadaf’s uncle (M K Raina) and her cousin Razin. There is a sharp contrast between these two girls who are best friends. Sadaf aggressively asserting the fact that she never cries makes her character much stronger for her age. The scene of where both the kids are playing which eventually leads to an argument makes us go back to our own childhood. Uncle’s presence lightens the film and brings the element of humour in it.
No other world is more simple, pure and magnificent than the child’s world. The film takes the child’s world seriously because it is closer to reality. It looks at world differently without losing faith in thing like prayer or God. It constantly, with small references, revokes the blank space unoccupied by Sadaf’s brother. The longing of Sadaf’s mother makes the little girl take her position; and therefore, a particular scene where she is singing a lullaby to her mother elevates her position from just a little child to the caretaker of the house. The film is commenting in a very complicated way how childhood is shaping in such conflict areas without taking away the essence of innocence from it.
The climax of the film is silent but the sheer quietness of the situation makes it very violent. In the end the film leaves you with an uncomfortable felling of emptiness. The actors bring true emotions to the character especially the character of Sadaf is done brilliantly; the little child robs your feelings with her innocence. It is story of innocence, fear, struggle, faith and pain. If you are a fan of subtle things and believe that everything does not need screaming to bring an attention then this is a must watch. The time film is made, makes it a crucial film to understand the politics of Kashmir.
The film has been produced by students of AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia: Afroz Alam Sahil, Aman Kalim and Mohd. Irfan Dar. The 18-minute-long film, which deals with custodial disappearance in Kashmir, is a fictional piece derived from real life incident of the families which have suffered such tragedies.
Eidiyaan, the best film of the year 2010 of MCRC, has been screened at eight film festivals including Delhi (IIC) and Hyderabad (Short Film Festival). The film will be screened at Madurai Short Film Festival and Alp Viram Film Festival organised by NID and Pune International Film Festival.