ACF Asian Cinema Fund

Asian Network of Documentary(AND) Fund

2006

2006 Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund

LIST Hope Dies Last in War
Category DongSeo Asia Fund
Project Hope Dies Last in War
Director Supriyo SEN
Country India
Director's Profile Born in 1967. His first documentary about a worker`s death called [Waiting Until Death] (1995) later played its due role in establishing the worker`s legal rights through Supreme Court of India. His third film [The Nest] (2000) was about the lone battle of a tribal family to save migratory birds which won National Award for the Best Film on environmental issues and B.F.J.A Critic`s Award. In 2000, the director received Jan Vrijman Fund from International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam for the production of [Way Back Home](2003) about his parent`s journey to their homeland after 50 years. It received BBC Audience Award for the best documentary in Commonwealth Film Festival at Manchester. Also, it received National Award (Silver Lotus) for the best documentary on social issues and B.F.J.A Critic`s Award for the best documentary of the year in India. Including London, Paris, and New York, it was screened over 100 screenings all over the world so far.
Synopsis
The film [Hope Dies Last in War] is a story of 54 Indian Prisoners of War who are languishing in Pakistani Jail since 1971 Indo-Pak war. It is a saga of three generations, of their families` struggle to get the soldiers back. This is a singularly tragic story of Human Rights violation based on the testimonies of parents, wives, siblings, children and grandchildren. The film is about their pain, helplessness, dejection, reconciliation, hope and dreams in the war-hungry Indian sub-continent.
Director's Note
On 5th December 2004 while I was accompanying Mrs. Damayanti Tambay, wife of Flt. Lt. V. V. Tambay to Ambala cantonment from where her husband took off for the last time on the same day 33 years back, I asked her, "How could you wait alone for such a long time? … even Winnie Mandela didn`t have to wait so long for Nelson." She replied, "It is the unconditional love for the person that drove me to walk for such an endless journey." At that particular moment I realized that I have to tell this love story to the world, the love that survived at the time of war because I believe as long as love is there, hope is there and hope dies last in the war!
Festivals
2007 Busan International Film Festival - Wide Angle
2007 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival - New Asian Currents
2007 Jakarta International Film Festival
2007 Independent Documentaty Producers in India(IDPA) - Golden Award(Best Documentaty Cinematography)
2008 Punto de Vista - Documentary Film Festival of Navarra - AND Special Program
2008 Iran International Documentary Film Festival(Cinema Verite)
2008 Taiwan International Documentary Festival
2011 Salaya International Documentary Film Festival - AND Showcase
Still Cut
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