The screening on Monday the 15th of June was followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Pankaj Johar & Sunaina Kapoor. Hosted by Dr. Somnath Batabyal.
Eleven-year-olds Satyarth and Hari join a traditional Sanskrit institution run by charismatic Guru Avimuktesh, shaving their heads, donning saffron robes and severing ties with the outside world. What initially appears as rigorous spiritual education gradually reveals a deeper intent, as devotion to ancient texts becomes entangled with caste hierarchy, religious prejudice and nationalist ideology.
Filmed with rare, intimate access over the course of a year, Disciples captures how faith and identity are shaped in childhood, raising urgent questions about what is really being taught when no one is watching.
The screening on Monday the 15th of June was followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Pankaj Johar & Sunaina Kapoor. Hosted by Dr. Somnath Batabyal.
The screening was Open Captioned and a British Sign Language interpreter was visible on stage throughout the Q&A.
In this joint curation between Bertha DocHouse and Sheffield DocFest, audiences are invited to discover the gems, highlights and new voices in non-fiction cinema which premiered in the past festival edition.