Testimony of Ana is a short documentary film about a Gujarati woman who was branded a witch and attacked by villagers in a tribal area of Gujarat a few years ago.[1] It was directed and produced by Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda.[2] The film has received several accolades including a National Film Awards for Best Non-Feature Film at the 68th National Film Awards. It was also qualified for the Oscars after winning the top prize at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).[3]

Testimony of Ana
Directed bySachin Dheeraj
Produced bySachin Dheeraj
Janani Vijayanathan
StarringAnaben Pawar
Edited bySachin Dheeraj
Release date
  • November 2020 (2020-11)
CountryIndia
LanguageDangi

Synopsis

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The documentary recounts the story of an elderly tribal woman Anaben Pawar who was accused of witchcraft in rural India. Through this film the director Sachin has shown a deep-rooted culture of patriarchy and one of the most monstrous attacks on women's bodies in modern India.

Screening

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The film premiered at various national and international film festivals including Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Kraków Film Festival, Festival, EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Film Festival, Imagine India International Film, International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, Indian Documentary Film Festival of Bhubaneswar, Raindance Film Festival, and Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.[4]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result Ref
2021 Tasveer South Asian Film Festival Best Social Justice Short Film Won [4]
International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala Best Short Documentary Won
National Film Awards Best Non-Feature Film Won
SiGNS Film Festival of Kerala Special Mention Won
Indie Meme Film Festival Best Short Film Won

References

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  1. ^ Das, Prajanma (12 June 2021). "Anatomy of a witch-hunt in modern India: Why you need to watch Sachin Mudigonda's docu Testimony of Ana". Edex Live. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  2. ^ Praveen, S. R. (10 December 2021). "Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda's short documentary 'Testimony of Ana' is about a Gujarati woman who was branded a witch and attacked". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  3. ^ Singh, Suhani (19 September 2022). "Stories from the margins | The testimony of Ana". India Today. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Testimony of Ana". Kinostreet. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
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