Aabshaar, Mohd Saddam, Shahid, Saira, Shreya and Zainab

Festival Hosts, Delhi

 

AABSHAAR : A dance and movement practitioner, at Aagaaz she works with adolescent girls and women. Mohd. Saddam : A member of Aagaaz Repertory and an artist-facilitator who works with the early years group from the community, he is currently also working as the Administrative Coordinator. He is from Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin and is associated with Aagaaz from before its inception. SAIRA : She is the most recent entrant into the team. From the community, she has had a long association with families in the basti, not just as a neighbour, but also through years of experience as a health worker with another organisation. She is working with women at Aagaaz along with Aabshaar. SHAHID : A member of Aagaaz Repertory and an artist-facilitator who works with the new children who start showing up at Khwāb Ghar until they are sorted into various groups, he is currently also working as the Retail Fundraiser. He is from Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin and is associated with Aagaaz from before its inception. He is deeply interested in the use of digital media for storytelling. SHREYA : An illustrator and library educator - she is the Director of Programme, Community Library. ZAINAB : A member of Aagaaz Repertory and an artist-facilitator who works with the adolescent boys’ group from the community, she is currently also working as the Leader of the Library Programme. She is from Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin and is associated with Aagaaz from before its inception. Her interest in film and photography as a medium runs deep. She is the unofficial video/photo documentation person at almost all Aagaaz events.

Khwab Ghar

Hosted by Aabshar, Aslam, Shahid, Saira, Shreya and Zainab, Mentored by Dhwani Vij

Delhi

 

This festival was space for meaningful dialogue, where we come together as curators, participants, and audiences to explore what independence and social justice mean to us. Through films, sound art, and visual work, we celebrate the everyday stories of individuals and communities, highlighting their struggles, hopes, and triumphs. Our goal is to encourage reflection on how concepts like swatantra, samajaik nyay, and azadi play out in our daily lives.

As we gathered to mark the 77th Independence Day, we aimed to bridge the gap between personal experiences and broader social themes. Through facilitated conversations, we want our audience to connect deeply with the stories they see and to express their own relationship with these ideas. Audiences  connected deeply with the stories they saw and expressed their own relationship with these ideas. By the end of the day, everyone left with a renewed sense of connection to our democratic values and the stories that shape them.

This festival isn’t just about watching films—it’s about engaging with the arts to build understanding, empathy, and a collective commitment to social justice.

 

59

participants joined this festival, engaging in dialogue on independence, social justice, democracy, and unity. 

Women artists

Women from Nizamuddin Basti, parents of the children who visit Aagaaz ( 30 + years old ), Adolescent girls and boys.

Festival Keywords

community stories, empathy through art, social justice, democracy                                                        

Jabin* , Participant

“Stories as a medium have an immense reach and potential, that films leave an impact and initiate change in society.”

Rima* , Participant

“We enjoyed a film festival for the first time and it was lovely to watch screenings along with old and new friends.”

Sandhya*,Participant

“As a mother, I was able to resonate deeply with some of the stories as they encapsulated the concerns regarding freedom, safety, navigating emotions and life itself.”

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