Sengadal, the Dead Sea, a debut feature film, by Leena Manimekalai will be the only Indian film in the International Competition section of the 13th International Mumbai Film Festival, which is to come to an end on Oct 20, 2011.
Sources close to the unit of the film claim that MFF director Srinivasan Narayanan while appreciating the film had said, “The selection committee was impressed with the freshness in its approach, wonderful photography and the way non-actors have been treated in the movie.”
After winning its legal battle with the Regional Central Board of Film Certification and the Appellate Tribunal Authorities over the ban on public exhibition, Sengadal emerged with an ‘A’ certificate, without any cuts, on June 20, 2011. The film was then officially selected in the competition sections of the 32nd Durban International Film Festival and the 35th World Montreal Film festival in July and August respectively.
It has also been nominated for the NAWFF Award, Tokyo, to be held this month. Navi Pillai, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who watched the film at Durban, appreciated the uncompromising voice of the film, which focuses on human rights violations of the Sri Lankan Navy on the Indian Fishermen at the international maritime border, off the shores of Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi.
Real fishermen and refugees from Dhanushkodi and Rameshwaram Mandapam camp have acted in the film.