Breaking the Caste

Archival colour footage Indian village, high shot thatched roofs of huts, CU beating drum, MS Indian men playing drums as women dance, MCU beautiful smiling woman, low angle women dancing, CU smiling drummer, two women watching on, MS women dancing, feet moving on ground, VS CU's women dancing and smiling.

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Interview Fathima Burnad, super, talking about how a woman and husband would be killed if they refused sexual favours. VS Indian village women dancing as men play drums, high angle smiling children, MS Fathima talking to children and clenching her fists, super: Be brave. I will show you how... , smiling boys. Interview Fathima about telling children to show their fists if someone is beating them. Freeze fame, super: Breaking the Caste. Fade to black.

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MWS two bullocks pulling cart with load of firewood past camera, MS two Indian women walking in market, one holding umbrella, busy traffic of mainly auto rickshaws and mopeds to camera, MS crowd of pedestrians, WS Hindu women passing market stalls, CU pan down intricate Hindu carvings, wider shot ornate exterior carvings of temple, high angle track slo mo Dalit beggars on street, MCU woman looking to camera, CU old woman with dishevelled hair, CU young girl will large brown eyes. Dissolve.

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MS Fathima Burnad smiling with arm outstretched, MS Indian woman moving large ceremonial dish with burning flame, crowd of villagers in B/G, MS standing women and children, woman pours red oil from dish, MCU pink flowers, woman offering flower to Fathima, CU older woman with glasses, CU baby, MS two women in colourful saris, group of children.

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MCU Fathima Burnad, WS Indian women and children walking through village, sunset shot pathway through village of thatched huts. Interview Fathima Burnad talking about not wanting possessions like her people. Dissolve to pan down spire and building to busy street, MS two women, one making purchase at market stall, MWS woman washing, MS slapping wet cloth on stone, WS two women sweeping ground with brushes, cyclists passing, VS ground being swept.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about the rich believing that without the caste system India cannot exist.

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Archival b&w footage India's Independence celebrations, 1947, WS official building, dome, royal couple and dignitaries walking down steps, high WS crowd as cannons fired in B/G, MS track carriage with dignitaries. MS Mahatma Ghandi escorted by two women, Jawaharlal Nehru following Ghandi's entourage surrounded by crowd, MWS large crowd outside citadel walls, MS Ghandi talking in midst of crowd.

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Interview Fathima Burnad taking about Ghandi's term Harijans (God's people) for the Dalit people being derogatory. CU poster detail of bare chested man, MCU poster for Dalit arts, CU wording Dalit Arts are Weapons for Liberation next to man's legs, CU poster Hand in hand for women's rights, pan down to wording Women Migrant Workers with picture of clenched fists. Dissolve.

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Slow zoom to map of India and Bay of Bengal, zoom to southern state of Tamil Nadu, MS Fathima Burnad smiling amidst crowd of children, WS crowd of villagers walking along village path, MS Fathima and villagers, profile shot Fathima in crowd, MWS woman squatting at outdoor stove, MWS older woman sitting on ground sorting food, MCU girl's face.

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MS Indian women filling urns with water, pan to women, overhead pull back from women with urns in well, bullock drinking in B/G.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about Dalits not being offered seats in restaurants. Pan down from blue sky church steeple to MWS church with passing traffic.

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Still b&w photograph Fathima Burnad's parents.

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MS traffic outside church entrance, MS religious statue man kneeling to Jesus, low angle two crosses against blue sky, dissolve to ornate crucifix with picture of Jesus. Dissolve.

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Still b&w photograph detail Fathima Burnad's mother, detail father. Dissolve.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about her father's social work. MCU drum being beaten, dissolve to women dancing, VS Fathima taking with villagers slo mo, pan smiling woman to young woman. Interview Fathima about abuse of a young servant girl.

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Still b&w photograph ECU Fathima Burnad's eyes, slow pull back to reveal Fathima's face as young woman, dissolve to b&w photo group of Indian villagers in street, zoom in detail of photo, zoom to rear view group of men detail of photo, b&w photo group of Indian men, dissolve.

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Interview Fathima Burnad remembering when she first felt anger on behalf of her people. MCU huddled group of Indian village children, slo mo, boy taking pink flower and giving to girl. Interview Fathima about deciding whether to be a Sunday school teacher or a social worker outside college.

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Still b&w photograph Fathima Burnad as young woman standing outside grass hut. Dissolve.

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MWS interior church, person in pew in F/G, exterior church with religious statue, Indian man walks R-L through frame, MWS women working in field, MCU crop plant pulled from soil, low angle woman throwing plant on heap, MCU young woman working.

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Still b&w photograph WS abandoned village huts with thatched roofs, various b&w photographs mob of people outside hut.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about being hidden from violent mob under seat of taxi. MWS cross on apex of church roof against blue sky, rear view group of Indian girls in pink robes and flowing white vestments crossing road towards church, dissolve to pan up church spire and crucifix atop steeple against blue sky. Interview Fathima about her belief that the church should come to the villages and help the needy.

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Still b&w photograph Fathima Burnad in graduation cap and gown, photo Fathima with man, zoom to Fathima, colour photo Fathima laughing with another woman, b&w photo Fathima , colour photo Fathima leaning against car, colour photo Fathima in group. Dissolve.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about Marxism not dealing with women issues or the caste system. Dissolve.

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Still b&w photograph MCU Fathima Burnad in profile, b&w photo MS Fathima smiling. Dissolve.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about eleven year old rape victim who with multiple stab wounds being one of the first issues dealt with by her women's liberation movement.

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Still b&w photograph demonstration, high angle view Fathima Burnad leading protest with drum beneath banner, b&w detail of photo women demonstrating. Dissolve.

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High angle view thatched roofs of village huts, MWS two cows tethered in village clearing, WS Dalit family outside hut, WS young children emerge from hut. Interview Fathima Burnad talking about Dalits being chased by their landlords. High angle view thatched huts, MCU thatched roof.

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CU pan remains of burning roof, pan wreckage of burnt hut, pan destroyed wall.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about her people not accepting violence inflicted on them by the state, landlords and the rich.

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Archival footage high angle pull back huge crowd of demonstrators, MS pan Indian soldiers, MS thick crowd of protesters with flags. Dissolve.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about the Indian masses needing to come together to get rid of caste system and be liberated. WS people standing around hut, MS sitting woman stirring pot, overhead shot pot of hot food being stirred, high angle WS woman stirring pot, WS clothes hanging on line with children playing under palm leaf thatching in B/G.

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MS woman carrying large tin pot on head walking L-R, MS man carrying stainless steel food canister L-R, beautiful woman carrying baby towards and past camera, WS crouched woman chopping kindling wood, good MS women with headscarves at work, WS women working sorting bricks.

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High angle shot meeting with village people sitting in circle including Fathima Burnad, men and women on different sides, MS Fathima addressing meeting, super. MWS two rows of men seated, pan seated Dalit men to meeting circle, MS men listening, CU Dalit man with moustache, MS Fathima talking to meeting, MS several women listening, CU Dalit women with orange flower in hair, CU older Dalit woman, MS Fathima talking, WS meeting circle, various CU's Dalit men and woman. Dissolve.

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Still colour photograph Fathima Burnad opening gift as others watch on, colour photo children in field. Dissolve.

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MS seated Dalit woman, Veeraraha Puram and younger girl, MCU Veerahara, MWS Hindu temple, interview Veeraraha, pan down from idols atop shrine to doorway as man enters, 2 shots frightening statues, interview Veeraraha.

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Still colour photograph Fathima Burnad addressing women's group, photo Fathima leading protest march, Fathima being interviewed by television reporter, photo Fathima at microphone making gesture with arm. Dissolve.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about the Tamil Nadu Women's Forum not having structure with office bearers. WS group of women singing and clapping hands to sitting children, MS women in saris singing. Interview Fathima about collective leadership in women's forum.

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MS two young women, closer woman chanting song about the lower Dalit caste, super, MWS group of mainly men listening, super, pan from CU hands clapping to older woman in profile, MS two women in crowd, MS group of women and children, MS group of four women looking up, MS women, MCU smiling woman hiding behind pink sari, two women miming, sitting women watching and laughing, women performing, MWS audience clapping, MS two men in busy street walking to camera followed by auto trishaw. Dissolve.

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Still colour photograph high angle rally with Fathima Burnad and other women in red saris forming circle and playing drums.

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WS man walking across city square followed by impoverished looking man, colonial building in B/G. Interview C.K.. Gariyali, super: C.K.. Gariyali - Women's Welfare, Tamil Nadu Govt., talking about caste system. Tilt up pan elaborate Hindu carvings on corner of building, dissolve to WS three young women walking along street to camera, MS three women. Interview C.K.. about future of women in India.

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WS Dalit people on street corner, MWS woman carrying buckets across street R-L, MS woman in red sari carrying pot on head L-R, rear view women brushing dusty road. Interview Fathima Burnad talking about the rich bureaucrats exploiting and creating the lower caste people.

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Archival footage mass of women at protest, policeman talking to protesters, pan large crowd of tea estate workers demonstrating, police forcing demonstrators along, rioters and police in aftermath of protest.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about tea estate workers asking for better wages and being beaten up.

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Archival footage police pushing forward and beating tea estate workers, WS people in river, man carrying body out of river followed by three men, corpse of young woman on river bank. Fade to black. MWS scattered shoes littering street in aftermath of riot, policeman walks through frame.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about having stones thrown at her in the city, despite arrests the police and bureaucrats being afraid of the movement. WS three bullocks and farmer in field, MWS buffalo and farmer, LS workers in field, WS silhouetted women working with bricks, MS women passing bricks in human chain, man drives tractor past camera, WS women working, MS young women wearing headscarves wrapped like turbans.

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MS man chanting song, children and adults in B/G, super, MS Fathima Burnad and other women sitting and listening, CU clapping hands, super, MCU Fathima and another woman enjoying song, super, pull back from clapping hands to man and child in audience, MS audience of boys and older women, WS villagers gathered for entertainment outside hut.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about globalisation being only for the wealthy with no recognition of the poor people. VS Dalit people looking to camera: MCU baby in mother's lap, MS two women with two children, MS mother holding baby, MS father with son and holding daughter, MS old woman, MS girl, MS boys, MCU boy, MCU boy in profile, MS older woman. Dissolve.

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Still colour photograph Fathima Burnad at bottom of aircraft boarding stairs, colour photo Fathima and group of Japanese women.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about the need to spread the Dalit caste issue worldwide. WS beach and resort with blue water in F/G, WS four people walking past palm trees with sparkling water in B/G, MS Fathima talking with two other Indian women, CU Fathima track to three women talking, MS Fathima talking at lectern at International Women's Conference, VS audience and Fathima giving talk, CU's women, VS audience clapping, VS Fathima talking with lady in hat as others listen.

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Interview Fathima Burnad talking about there being 160 million people facing the (Dalit) problem for the last 3,000 years. Rear view Fathima talking with Dalit villagers, track to MS Fathima, MS baby girl, young girl, high angle women and children, three women sitting on ground, MS village women role playing. Interview Fathima about the problems her people face everyday but whatever comes they will face it. Freeze frame. Fade to black.

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FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

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