JIBS documentary selected for prestigious int'l film festivals in Italy, Spain

Sonipat, May 11 'Caged (In) and Out', a documentary produced by the Jindal Institute of Behavioral Sciences (JIBS), a value-based research institute at the O.P. Jindal Global University, has been officially selected for the Festival Del Cinema di Cefalu in Italy, an international film festival known for screening of riveting cinematic storytelling.

The film will feature in the festival's yearbook of 2023 and it has also been shortlisted for awards at the Erronka Munduan (EM) (Reto por el Mundo – Challenge for the world) a social mobilization initiative by The Kursaal Film Festival based in San Sebastian, Spain, with a focus on raising awareness for coexistence and human rights through audiovisuals.

EM is a project approved by the Directorate of Human Rights, Victims and Diversity of the Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government.

Officially screened at the annual convention of the World Society of Victimology in Donostia–San Sebastian, 'Caged (In) and Out' explores the intricate realities and ubiquity of domestic violence in India through the eyes of survivors and their kin.

The film also highlights the perpetual travails of the grassroots women-led self-help groups and organisations to fight for survivors' justice and the need for early gender sensitization in the community.

The 60-minute film is part of the groundwork and research on domestic violence undertaken by the JIBS.

Elated at the news of the documentary's official selection in the famed film festivals, Prof. of Eminence Dr. Sanjeev P. Sahni, Founder, and Principal Director at JIBS said that the institute would continue to research and produce work through audiovisual storytelling on issues of societal importance through the lens of behavioural sciences.

"I am really proud of the work we are producing over and above academic research through cinematographic storytelling. Even though we are an academic institution we realize one of the best ways to reach out to the masses to engage and deliberate on critical issues is by complementing academic research with visual storytelling. It is a very unique approach and something that academic institutions across the world rarely engage in," Dr. Sahni told reporters here.

"I am also happy that our efforts are getting recognised beyond the academic circles and various film festivals are approaching to screen our films. I am almost certain that blending research with visual storytelling is the way forward for academia and academic institutions and I am proud that we at JIBS are the harbingers of this change."

Dr. Sahni also extended congratulations to the young team of media professionals at JIBS who helped the institute's researchers and faculty in ideating, conceptualising and producing the film.

"The film was ably shot and directed by Hanan Zaffar, the visual director of the film, and his team which worked for months with our researchers to get the desired final output."

JIBS researchers and the media team are working on another long-form documentary on acid attack survivors in the country, which is slated to be released later this year.