Internationalising the Indian Documentary

January 25, 2010
Mr. Raghu Menon
Secretary
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Shastri Bhavan
New Delhi 11003


Dear Mr. Raghu Menon,

Chilean filmmaker Mr. Patricio Guzman has been quoted to have said that, A country without documentaries is like a family without a photo album.

Indias tradition in documentary began at the same time as it did in the USA and Europe. It is a pity that today, in comparison to many pro-active countries of the world, it is a neglected arena in India as far as state support is concerned.

The limited support given, to Films Division and Doordarshan / Public Service Broadcasting Trust are good examples to quote in Parliament but are meaningless in the international market of documentary. In the absence of a dynamic documentary market, India is not seen as a ground for international co-productions. Most films, which get funding from various non-Indian institutions and television networks, end up with a western perspective for western audiences.

We are writing to request the Government to take greater interest in this field and perhaps channelise the National Film Development Corporation to become a catalyst for international co-operation and co-productions of documentaries in India. It would be wonderful if a core fund is positioned that can be accessed for development of trailers by Indian documentary film-makers. This would enable them to truly compete in the international arena, that most are unable to at present.

Additionally, the terms of reference for the funds given to the Films Division and Ministry of External Affairs XP Division should also be reviewed, so that more documentary film-makers can access them. A committee of documentary film-makers from different parts of the country should be set up for consultations towards this task that can also define a concrete policy for the documentary in India.

Please find enclosed a signature campaign of documentary film-makers from all over India supporting the above.

Looking forward to your kind response and action.

Neelima Mathur
Trustee & Trainer
Foundation for Responsible Media
With documentary film-makers from all over India