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Prinayana Sarma, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, IndiaAbstract
Documentary films have forever been influential in representing diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds, including marginalised communities in India.
The study draws on existing literature on documentaries, representation, and marginalized communities to inform its theoretical framework and methodology. The research mainly analyses two documentaries, ‘Born Into Brothel' directed by British photographers, Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman and 'India Untouched' directed by Stalin K from India. Through the analysis of Indian and international documentaries, this study identifies recurring themes and visual cues that reflect cultural biases, including the influence of an Upper-Caste Gaze.
These biases often romanticize and oversimplify struggles, highlighting the need for critical awareness in addressing representation's socio-political implications, such as tokenization and appropriation. Ultimately, this research urges responsible storytelling that aligns with marginalized communities' lived realities while focusing on analyzing the representations within the films themselves.
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