'Jute Story Beyond Bars' makes it to global film fests

kolkata: A documentary film, based on a project to empower the lives of the inmates of two correctional homes in the city through coordinated skill development training, has been selected for screening at a number of international film festivals.

The preview launch of the documentary 'Jute Story Beyond Bars' took place at Nandan in presence of Additional Director General (ADG) state Correctional Administration department Peeyush Pandey on Friday.

"The Jute Story Beyond Bars is one of the most successful projects, which is presently stalled because of COVID-19 situation in the state. The project will continue when the situation improves," a senior official of the Correctional Administration department said. Directed by Chaitali Das, the film showcases the indomitable spirit of a woman- on a mission to revive eco-friendly jute through reformation of prison inmates and their social inclusion. It narrates the story of hope, despair, challenges, smiles, confidence, building social acceptance for the stigmatised inmates, artisans, catapulting jute to the world stage.

It has been selected as the Finalist in the Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, August 2021, Semi Finalist in the Berlin Shorts Award, August 2021 and has also qualified as an official selection in the Druk International Film Festival.

Das's foundation has kicked off the project in 2016. So, far around 1600 odd inmates of Dum Dum Central Correctional Home and Alipore Women's Correctional Home have been trained in churning out a wide variety of jute products.