‘Why Education Comes with a High Cost for Girls,’ with Filmmaker Tarun Jain
Newsreel Asia Conversations, Episode 2
November 28, 2024
This video is from the second episode of our online event series, “Newsreel Asia Conversations,” which gives you a chance to interact with filmmakers who explore social, economic and political themes in their works. It all came together from our team's interactions with these creative minds at the 2024 Dharamshala International Film Festival, which ran from November 7 to 10, 2024.
In this second episode, we featured filmmaker and director Tarun Jain, and our conversation centred on “Why Education Comes with a High Cost for Girls,” based on his film “Ballad of the Mountain.”
Tarun’s most critically acclaimed short film is "Amma Meri,” set against the backdrop of agrarian crises in Haryana and which has been showcased at festivals such as Tampere, IFFI and MIFF. His other short, "Kaala," offers a bold commentary on the racist attacks against Africans in Delhi and earned an Oscar qualification after winning Best Short at the Cinequest Film and VR Festival in the U.S.
Tarun’s latest project, "Ballad of the Mountain," delves into the plight of marginalised communities and addresses the urgent issue of girls’ education in India.
Beyond creating his own thought-provoking films, he has also contributed to the Netflix series "Kohraa" as a second unit and associate director.
In every narrative, Tarun captures the complex socio-political dynamics that express the struggles, injustices, and resilience of communities often forced to navigate systems of inequality.
