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Silenced Voices (2012)
Hard hitting truth...
This documentary exposes the truth about how journalists are in danger for exposing crimes and corruption committed by the Sri Lankan state. Sinhalese are not exempt from the wrath of the government for speaking out against corruption, or speaking out against atrocities committed against Tamils on the island nation.
If Sinhalese journalists are being targeted by the state for dissent, how much worse would Tamils have been treated during and after the ethnic conflict by Sri Lankan government forces?
I highly recommend this film lovers of human rights and justice. However, viewer discretion is advised due to disturbing content...
My Daughter the Terrorist (2007)
A rather unique documentary
For decades the international community has been getting the Sri Lankan government side of the story with little or no detail on the origins of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, otherwise known as the Tamil Tigers. This film is one of the first documentaries to take an in depth look into the guerrilla turned conventional military forces of the Tamil homeland Northeast of the island known as Tamil Eelam. One of the most taboo topics in combat talked about are suicide bombers and why one would become one. The film investigates the lives of two female combatants and their reasons for joining the Black Tiger brigade of the Tamil armed movement. This is a must see film for one who wants to get a complete picture of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.
No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka (2013)
The truth of Sri Lankan war
No Fire Zone: Sri Lanka Killing Fields truthfully exposes war crimes and crimes against humanity against the civilian population of the divided island. Having endured over 26 years of brutal civil war between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Northern province has went from war-zone to virtual prison for the victims of the war. Channel 4 conducts a thorough investigation as to who the culprits were, and why they are hiding from an independent, international, investigation as to what exactly happened at the end of the ethnic conflict in 2009. View discretion is strongly advised.
Chennai Express (2013)
Disappointed with the racial stereotypes of Tamils
What I thought would be a cute comedy love story turned out to be a generic stereotype of Tamils. This poorly made film, does not shock me of the Bollywood ignorance of its neighbors in Tamil Nadu.
The hero of the film supposedly portrays Sharukh Kahn as a civilized hero traveling to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to dump his grandfather's ashes there. Without giving the plot of the film, I would like to say that the Tamils portrayed in the film are like 'zombie like' thugs with unkempt hair and out of shape bodies. What's even more demeaning is that the heroine of the film is with no shoes throughout the movie.
It is with no surprise that this Hindi made film would portray Tamils as a bunch of murderous and drunk savages. What struck me the most is that the hero is portrayed like a Rama, with his European looking Tamil heroine as Sita, with her father as the bad guy portraying Ravana.
What's even more idiotic is the film's 'mix and match,' categorization of Tamils and other so called 'South Indians' as all the same people by mixing Katha Kali and Oddissi dances in their usual 'song and dance,' episodes, leave alone the usual negative stereotypes of Tamils as primitive people. But, then again, that is the reality with the racially divided India.
Special thanks to the Bollywood fans for giving the lowest ratings of this film due to their dislike of Tamils and South India in general.
Madras Cafe (2013)
'Madras Cafe' Racially and Politically Motivated
'Madras Cafe,' while viewed as a political thriller with special effects and the whole 'bells and whistles,' is nothing more than a racially and politically motivated movie. The film takes place in Sri Lanka during the 1980's when India got involved in the ethnic conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL).
It is about an Indian agent from the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) of the Indian intelligence along with Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF). During their tenure between 1987 to 1989, according to Amnesty International, "the IPKF along with the GOSL have been engaged in gross human rights violations against the Tamil population of Northeast Sri Lanka, otherwise known as Tamil Eelam." Why this movie is racially motivated is, because all the bad guys in the film are Tamil. But, not only, that, the LTTE, which is of course proscribed as a 'terrorist' organization in India and in several countries, is misrepresented. Basically, the truth of the history has been twisted, leave alone incorrect. The producer of the film stated that he spent 7 years studying the conflict, but failed on several accounts, that the Tamil Liberation group prohibits drinking and smoking. Even their salute is incorrect in the film.
The film further portrays the Tamil rebel leader as a power hungry and incompetent person. Furthermore, it portrays the Government of Sri Lanka, and India as the heroes of the movie. This is no different than making a movie praising the Gestapo of Adolf Hitler in his fight against 'Jewish terrorism' in Germany! Further, all the characters are non-Tamil, while it does not surprise me that the film was screened in US, Canada, and UK in separate theaters with one for Tamil and one for Hindi. This film also is causing a division, not only between North and South India, but between Tamils and Malayalees of the Southern Indian state of Kerala for the fact that all the heroes from India are Keralites, while the bad guys are Tamil. But, even worse, the Malayalee characters are played by actors and actresses of Northern Indian origins not resembling those from Kerala.
Now, why is this movie politically motivated? The answer is clear. Sri Lanka has been condemned by International organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Right Watch for its war crimes and crimes against humanity during and after it's final stages of their battle in Northern Sri Lanka. Numerous videos and footage of rapes, torture, and extra-judicial killings have submerged exposing the Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Also, the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka and the possibility of an International Investigation of War Crimes committed in Sri Lanka. Another reason for this film to be released is to give more points to the Indian National Congress to win again in 2014. There is no doubt, that both the Sri Lankan Government and the Congress Party of India has financed this film. Furthermore, that through an independent international investigation into war crimes committed in Sri Lanka, India's name will come out specifically from the Congress Party of India, and Indian representatives in the UN.
'Madras Cafe' puts the Tamil people in a bad light, and not doubt, restaurant owners in Western countries that go under the name 'Madras Cafe.' Madras in fact was the former name of Chennai, which is the capitol of Tamil Nadu state of South India. No Tamils will support this film with the exception of a few for monetary gain. Other films banned were those such as 'Vishwapooram' and a YouTube movie mocking the prophet Muhammad. This film not only misrepresents history, but it also black lists a particular ethnic group for a political purpose.
On an end note, whether good or bad from either side, the truth should not be taken out of the film. If it is a historical film, it should be made as such. One such historical film from the region I would say is fair and balanced would be that of Ben Kingsley's 'Gandhi.' If the producer of this film wanted to show atrocities, he should have shown it as it was historically, including that from India and Sri Lankan forces. As for 'Madras Cafe,' it is far from the truth...