Violence is preventable
UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women & UNV
Asia-Pacific regional joint programme
for gender-based violence prevention
Let's Talk Men film enters race for Oscars prize
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A film produced as part of the Let’s Talk Men 2.0 project - a Partners for Prevention supported initiative that aims to raise awareness on gender-based violence in South Asia - has become the first Pakistani film in over 50 years to be submitted for Oscar consideration.
The film ‘Zinda Bhaag,’ was selected by the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee for Oscar consideration in the ‘Foreign Language Film Award’. It will now be screened before the Academy, who will vote and shortlist Oscar nominees at a later date.
The film is one of four films in the Let's Talk Men (LTM) 2.0 series, which is supported by Partners for Prevention along with IPPF, UN Women, Norwegian Embassy, Trocaire and CARE and co-produced by Aakar. The LTM 2.0 project uses film to highlight the processes through which people are socialized into gender norms, and models gender-equitable practices. Primarily aimed at engaging young men, the project aims to promote positive ways of being a man, and to engage men as partners with women in the effort to end violence against women.
The film was directed and written by Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, produced by Mazhar Zaidi and features Bollywood actors Naseeruddin Shah, Amna Ilyas and Khurram Patras. ‘Zinda Bhaag’ is a comedy/thriller about three young men trying to escape the reality of their everyday lives through the use of the unconventional methods available to them. The journey that unfolds shows the young men battling with unfulfilled desires to achieve feats that are out of their reach, yearning to prove themselves despite hurdles placed before them, and an inescapable sense of melancholy that sets in when opportunities are dictated by forces that are out of their control.
‘Zinda Bhaag’ recently won four major awards at Mosaic – The South Asian Heritage Festival of Mississauga - including awards for ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Music / Soundtrack’, ‘Best Actor (female)’, and ‘Best Supporting Actor’.
In addition to Zinda Bhaag, from Pakistan, the Let’s Talk Men 2.0 series of films on masculinities include films from Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. LTM 2.0 builds on the original Let’s Talk Men series, which was highly successful as a means of drawing in boys and men into discussions on gender. By the end of 2013, 5,000 Let’s Talk Men 2.0 (LTM) Packages, which will include a discussion guide, training tools and resources, and assessment tools, will be disseminated across India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Gender practitioners, civil society organizations, educational institutions and other groups will be equipped to use the packages to ensure a wide outreach and effective engagement with young people in the region. For further information, see http://letstalkmen.org/.