Asheville Film Festival
- Acting Like a Thief
- Director: P. Kerim Friedman, Shashwati Talukdar
Documentary. 2005. India/United States. 14 min. Hindi and Bhantu, Subtitled.
World Premiere
Once nomads, the Chhara now live in an urban ghetto on the edge of a large industrial city in western India. The British labeled them a "criminal tribe" and today they still carry this brand, as often they are assumed guilty until proven innocent. Nobody will hire them. To survive, some sell illegal liquor while others engage in petty thievery. But now a group of young people is using theater to fight back against a century of prejudice and oppression. Acting Like a Thief is a short film about the Budhan Theatre of Chharanagar. Starting with playwright Dakxin Bajrange discussing his arrest, the film brings us inside the lives of a dedicated group of young actors and their families as they discuss what it means to be a "born criminal" and how theater changed their lives.
- Showings
Friday, January 20 at 10pm – Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company