Controversial Kashmir documentary shown at Berlin festival

Berlin, Feb 09: American-Israeli director Udi Aloni`s controversial documentary about Jammu and Kashmir has been shown at the Berlin Film Festival. Indian authorities have taken umbrage at "Kashmir: Journey to Freedom" and are refusing to allow him to return to India, he said, after the film was premiered in Panorama section, which showcases independent and art house cinema.

"Send them a message, please let me return to India. I really miss my friends from Kashmir, and I really love to be in India," he said. He said he had done India a good service in making the documentary. Aloni said he`d gone to Kashmir without really knowing what he was going to see, and that his film was less a documentary, "more an action movie of a different sort. I have always believed in non-violence". Aloni tells how a new generation of young Muslim Kashmiris, after years of armed resistance, decide to lay down their arms and start a non-violent resistance movement. India, the world`s biggest movie-making nation, has a notably low presence at this year`s Berlinale, which runs till Feb 15. It doesn`t have a single feature vying for the competition`s top Golden Bear awards. IANS