BOL - The language of Children

15/08/2024

It's 2024, and the irony couldn't be more bitter. In a nation where we worship Goddesses like Durga and Kali, symbols of strength and empowerment, the reality for women is far from divine. The horrific memories of Nirbhaya and the recent RG Kar Hospital r**e case stand as reminders that we still live in a society where women are not safe.

We revere goddesses, but we fail to protect our daughters, sisters, and mothers. How long will we continue to ignore the glaring contradiction between our worship and our actions? My animated documentary film, AWAKENING OF THE GODDESS highlights the different forms of violence women face every day—from verbal and psychological abuse to sexual, socio-economic, and domestic violence. WATCH and SHARE widely! Let these films not just travel the festivals and be confined to the little community. But, let it be shared with public who are its real audience.

I wish my daughter and thousands of my sisters and mothers felt safe in this country.
I wish we lived in a society where respect for women was as sacred as our rituals.
I wish the strength we admire in goddesses was reflected in the way we treat women.
I wish people didn't turn a blind eye to the suffering of women around them.
I wish we had true equality, where women could walk free from fear.

And the list goes on. It’s time for change—let's not just worship our goddesses, but protect our women with the same reverence.

Festival Cut with Subtitles

28/07/2024

Exciting News and Heartfelt Thanks!

We are thrilled to announce that our first long-format animated documentary film has been shortlisted for the International Film Festival of Shimla 2024! 🎬🏆

Many congratulations to PadmaShri Bhuri Bai Baria on whom the film has been made and who willingly and most enthusiastically shared her story with me. Thank you Rita for the translations.

Sir Kamran, a thank you is never enough so we meet to celebrate.

This milestone is a testament to the incredible dedication, creativity, and hard work of our entire team. It’s been a challenging journey filled with long hours, creative hurdles, and relentless passion, and we couldn’t have reached this point without the unwavering support of so many remarkable individuals. Also, it is incredible how we managed to work on the film from different parts of the world...India, Myanmar, Poland...a true international collaboration work and thanks to technology that has made it possible.

To our amazing crew members, your talent and perseverance have brought this project to life in ways we could only dream of. Every frame of animation, every line of dialogue, and every ounce of effort has been crucial to our success. Lin Thit Kyaw Hsu Myat Noe Lwin Hennie WitHmone PhooPwint Thu Akshay Bapat Shayok Banerjee

To our supportive producers, thank you for believing in our vision and providing the resources and encouragement we needed to see this film through. Your commitment and faith in our work have made all the difference. Officially, it was the Films Division of India and later NFDC India. But this would not have been released without the trust and support of and Ma'am

And to my parents, Mithu Mukherjee and Gautam Mukherjee and to all our well-wishers, your encouragement and enthusiasm have been a constant source of motivation for us. Knowing that our work resonates with so many makes every challenge worthwhile. I would like to personally thank Sarit Chaudhuri Hemant Parihar Rajendra Jharia Divakar Mukherjee Mr S K Pandey Mohammad Rehan Mr Sheshadri Mr Arun Kiro from National Museum of Mankind-Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya and Nidhi Bhuri Bai Bariya Rita and Ashok Mishra from Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum and many more without whom my PhD and this film wouldn't have seen the light of the day.

We are immensely grateful for this recognition and look forward to sharing more with you as we continue this incredible journey. Here’s to celebrating this achievement and many more to come!

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

22/01/2020

Snippets of past work with children in Delhi

02/09/2019

Wise words from Philip Pullman, who received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2005: Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play.…

29/08/2019

An amphibious structure that houses a school for underprivileged children in Bangladesh was adjudged one of the six winners of the 2019 Aga Khan Award...

26/08/2019

An exhibition on Alcatraz shows how artists can contribute to criminal-justice reform

28/07/2019

Animation filmmaker and entrepreneur Debjani Mukherjee is using indigenous art to empower communities, generate employment and heal children.

03/02/2018

Art therapy is a real thing.

25/03/2017

A collaboration with CRY, this BOL Project was aimed to let the out of school children from a remote village in Kutch,India called Rapar express their aspirations for a better childhood.

04/03/2017

BOL at 15th Spirit of Fire Film Festival! Work and fun has just begun...Updates coming up