Stop Genocide
Encyclopedia
Stop Genocide is a 1971 documentary film
by eminent Bangladeshi
filmmaker Zahir Raihan
. It is a 20-minute film that documents the killings and atrocities carried out by the Pakistan Army
on the people of the then East Pakistan
. It also depicts the plight of the refugees
and the activities of the Government in exile
.
Raihan made his debut in making of documentary films by Stop Genocide.
Raihan started planning for this documentary around April-May in 1971 and soon started making it. Film Director Alamgir Kabir
helped him. It was June and the film was produced in less than a month.
Similarity of this documentary with some of those by Cuban
filmmaker Santiago Álvarez
indicates Álvarez’s influence over Zahir Raihan. Raihan adopted a new technique of film-making of using found video clips
and photographs
while he was working for this documentary. The film was created using whatever it was found in the newsreel
clips and footage
. Raihan made this documentary with an aim to create world opinion against the brutal acts committed by Pakistan Army.
Raihan was a Refugee staying in Kolkata
when he made this film.
from The Right of Nations to Self-Determination
. A sketch of Lenin appears at the beginning, and then a series of long and mid shots delineate a peaceful country life. But soon gunshots and turbulence replaces the tranquility. The next few shots portray the plunder, fire, wreckage, killings committed by Pakistan Army. The preamble of the United Nations Charter
is mentioned several times. A series of still photos create some of the sequences that show the bombing of US Air force
in Vietnam
and its aftermath
. The Dateline shows Saigon
of July 20. Bomber B-52 and a burnt Vietnamese child are seen. The focus switches from Saigon to Bongaon
, India
. Processions of refugees make a few sequences. A picture of struggling, distressing life of homeless, helpless, frightened refugees follows. Some of the refugees are seen looking for shelter in refugee camps while not an inch of any camp can accommodate them. Next appears a series of long shots taken from pictures of raped women, destroyed buildings and heaps of dead bodies. Alternating appearances of Hitler
, pictures of Nazis
, the massacre by Nazis, piles of dead bodies nearby German prison camps, refugee camps in India, heaps of dead bodies in the streets of Bangladesh
, fire, wreckage in towns and villages makes the next few scenes. Numerous corpses are seen in rivers, streets, paddy fields, under the trees and on green, long grass. Shots after shots illustrate the sufferings of refugees. An old woman talks to an inquirer. The camera focuses a group of armed guerrilla
returning from an operation. Soon they disappear in the woods. Camps of freedom fighters
and the camp commandant appear. The commandant gives an interview. He talks about the war, the reason behind the war, the moral strength and confidence they own. The documentary ends with the word STOP occupying full frame.
documentary used 35 mm film
.
The narrative was in English and it was in fact a great opportunity to convey the message of the sufferings of oppressed people of the newly born country Bangladesh to the rest of the world.
The documentary was produced by Bangladesh Chalachitra Shilpi-O-Kushali Swahayak Samity.
Commentary written and spoken by Alamgir Kabir
.
did not consider the directors attempt of making a documentary on the ongoing Liberation War
important at first. Later they agreed to finance the documentary.
With the help of a few cultural activists, Raihan managed to collect funds for the film from a national organization comprising Indian film directors.
The Mujibnagar Cabinet, along with some other exiled politicians, witnessed the first screening of Stop Genocide at a secret place in India. The acting Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad
appreciated the documentary. Moreover, moved by the film, the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
directed her film division to buy the film and distribute
it internationally.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by eminent Bangladeshi
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
filmmaker Zahir Raihan
Zahir Raihan
Zahir Raihan was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his documentary Stop Genocide made during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He disappeared on December 30, 1972 trying to locate his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and killed by...
. It is a 20-minute film that documents the killings and atrocities carried out by the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
on the people of the then East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. It also depicts the plight of the refugees
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
and the activities of the Government in exile
Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
The Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh , popularly known as the Mujibnagar Government, was the government in exile of Bangladesh based in Kolkata, India during the Bangladesh Liberation War...
.
Raihan made his debut in making of documentary films by Stop Genocide.
Raihan started planning for this documentary around April-May in 1971 and soon started making it. Film Director Alamgir Kabir
Alamgir Kabir (film maker)
Alamgir Kabir was a renowned Bangladeshi film director and cultural activist. He has made some of the most seminal films in Bangladesh film history. Three of his feature films are featured in the "Top 10 Bangladeshi Films" list by British Film Institute.-Early life and career:He was born on 26...
helped him. It was June and the film was produced in less than a month.
Similarity of this documentary with some of those by Cuban
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
filmmaker Santiago Álvarez
Santiago Álvarez
Santiago Álvarez Román was a Cuban filmmaker. He wrote and directed many documentaries about Cuban and American culture...
indicates Álvarez’s influence over Zahir Raihan. Raihan adopted a new technique of film-making of using found video clips
Video clip
Video clips are short clips of video, usually part of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.- On the Internet :...
and photographs
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
while he was working for this documentary. The film was created using whatever it was found in the newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
clips and footage
Footage
In filmmaking and video production, footage is the raw, unedited material as it had been originally filmed by movie camera or recorded by a video camera which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work...
. Raihan made this documentary with an aim to create world opinion against the brutal acts committed by Pakistan Army.
Raihan was a Refugee staying in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
when he made this film.
Content summary
The documentary starts by quoting LeninVladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
from The Right of Nations to Self-Determination
The Right of Nations to Self-Determination
The Right of Nations to Self-Determination is a book by Lenin written in February-May 1914.It dealt with the national question in relation to countries such as Norway and Poland.- References :...
. A sketch of Lenin appears at the beginning, and then a series of long and mid shots delineate a peaceful country life. But soon gunshots and turbulence replaces the tranquility. The next few shots portray the plunder, fire, wreckage, killings committed by Pakistan Army. The preamble of the United Nations Charter
United Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations. It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries...
is mentioned several times. A series of still photos create some of the sequences that show the bombing of US Air force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and its aftermath
Vietnam War casualties
The Vietnam War began in 1955 and did not end until 1975, two years after all US and allied personnel had withdrawn, when North Vietnamese forces finally conquered Saigon...
. The Dateline shows Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
of July 20. Bomber B-52 and a burnt Vietnamese child are seen. The focus switches from Saigon to Bongaon
Bangaon
Bongaon is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. Bongaon is headquarters of Bongaon subdivision.- Geography :...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Processions of refugees make a few sequences. A picture of struggling, distressing life of homeless, helpless, frightened refugees follows. Some of the refugees are seen looking for shelter in refugee camps while not an inch of any camp can accommodate them. Next appears a series of long shots taken from pictures of raped women, destroyed buildings and heaps of dead bodies. Alternating appearances of Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, pictures of Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, the massacre by Nazis, piles of dead bodies nearby German prison camps, refugee camps in India, heaps of dead bodies in the streets of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, fire, wreckage in towns and villages makes the next few scenes. Numerous corpses are seen in rivers, streets, paddy fields, under the trees and on green, long grass. Shots after shots illustrate the sufferings of refugees. An old woman talks to an inquirer. The camera focuses a group of armed guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
returning from an operation. Soon they disappear in the woods. Camps of freedom fighters
Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...
and the camp commandant appear. The commandant gives an interview. He talks about the war, the reason behind the war, the moral strength and confidence they own. The documentary ends with the word STOP occupying full frame.
Production
The Black-and-whiteBlack-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
documentary used 35 mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
.
The narrative was in English and it was in fact a great opportunity to convey the message of the sufferings of oppressed people of the newly born country Bangladesh to the rest of the world.
The documentary was produced by Bangladesh Chalachitra Shilpi-O-Kushali Swahayak Samity.
Crew
- Zahir RaihanZahir RaihanZahir Raihan was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his documentary Stop Genocide made during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He disappeared on December 30, 1972 trying to locate his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and killed by...
: ScreenplayScreenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
and direction. - Babul Chowdhury : Chief Assistant
- Debabrata Sen Gupta : EditingFilm editingFilm editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
- Chitta Bardhan : Production
- Arun Roy : Photography
Commentary written and spoken by Alamgir Kabir
Alamgir Kabir (film maker)
Alamgir Kabir was a renowned Bangladeshi film director and cultural activist. He has made some of the most seminal films in Bangladesh film history. Three of his feature films are featured in the "Top 10 Bangladeshi Films" list by British Film Institute.-Early life and career:He was born on 26...
.
Financing
The Department of Films and Publications of Mujibnagar GovernmentProvisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
The Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh , popularly known as the Mujibnagar Government, was the government in exile of Bangladesh based in Kolkata, India during the Bangladesh Liberation War...
did not consider the directors attempt of making a documentary on the ongoing Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
important at first. Later they agreed to finance the documentary.
With the help of a few cultural activists, Raihan managed to collect funds for the film from a national organization comprising Indian film directors.
Film release and distributions
The film was released in 1971.The Mujibnagar Cabinet, along with some other exiled politicians, witnessed the first screening of Stop Genocide at a secret place in India. The acting Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad
Tajuddin Ahmad
Tajuddin Ahmad was a Bangladeshi politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh...
appreciated the documentary. Moreover, moved by the film, the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
directed her film division to buy the film and distribute
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
it internationally.
Awards
Stop Genocide won an award in Tashkent film festival in 1972. It also won the SIDLOC award at the Delhi Film Festival in 1975.External links
- Stop Genocide: Part 1 at You Tube
- Stop Genocide: Part 2 at You Tube
- Stop Genocide: Part 3 at You Tube