Alliance Francaise film fest

Bhopal, Jan 12 (UNI) Cinema buffs in this City of Lakes had a veritable treat for their eyes courtesy a two-day Festival of Documentary Films that included one on Bangladesh's Grameen Bank, which is an Economics professor's unique initiative for extending loans to the rural poor.

''The event exposed Bhopal's populace to cinema of a different kind. We'll be screening the same films at Indore also where we have a branch. The French Embassy sends us proposals of a cultural nature every year. Last year animation films were screened. We normally focus on commercial movies,'' an Alliance Francaise de Bhopal official told UNI.

'Mondialisation/Globalisation', which concluded yesterday at the multi-art centre Bharat Bhavan, showcased four documentaries categorised into Preamble: 'Mondialisation, violence ou dialogue?' by Patrice Barrat, Development: 'Le Banquier des humbles' by Amirul Arhan, Health:'Chronique d'une catastrophe annoncee' by Philip Brooks and Economy:'The Corporation' by Jennifer Abbot and Mark Achbar.

According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Professor Muhammad Yunus' ''Grameen Bank has reversed the conventional banking wisdom by removing collateral requirement and created a banking system that is based on mutual trust, strict supervision, accountability, participation and creativity.'' While Barrat's creation had a special focus on the death of Carlo Giuliani, the 23-year-old Italian activist killed during demonstrations against the Group of Eight summit at Genoa in July 2001, Brooks' film was on AIDS and 'The Corporation' analysed the evils of corporatisation.

''The digital versatile discs were supplied by the Embassy. Short films and documentaries are very popular in France and we have organised several fests until now. Concerts and exhibitions are also organised,'' the Alliance official added.

UNI