Rakesh Sharma

Indian filmmaker Rakesh Sharma made waves with Final Solution, a hard-hitting analysis of the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom orchestrated by right-wing Hindu nationalists in Gujarat. Sharma viewed the events as a turning point in Indian history: “I wanted it (the film) to be more than a record of grief and tragedy,” says Sharma, “and to look at the political conditions behind it.” Himself a Hindu, Sharma used primary sources — testimony from both victims and perpetrators — to reveal state complicity in the violence. When the film was banned, he mounted an ingenious viral distribution campaign, urging supporters to “pirate and circulate.” It went on to win a Special Jury Award in Berlin. “I find it difficult to remain “just” a filmmaker. I want to hold up the film as a mirror and ask, ‘Is this really what you want to support?’” This impulse to explore critical public issues runs through much of his work.

Selected Filmography

Final Solution (2004)
Berlin International festival — Wolfgang Staudte Award & Special Jury Award
Hong Kong Intl Film Festival — Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Documentary
Index on Censorship Film Award in March 2005.

Aftershocks: The Rough Guide to Democracy (2002)
Fribourg International Film Festival — Le Prix de la Presse Politique, Best Documentary