Gopal Menon is an Indian independent filmmaker and activist known for his documentaries on human rights issues. In the early noughties, he gained international recognition for Hey Ram: Genocide in the Land of Gandhi (2002), the first film made about the Gujarat pogrom, and Naga Story: The Other Side of Silence (2003), which won an award at The Netherlands Himalayas Film Festival. His other notable films include Let the Butterflies Fly (2012) about violence against transgender people, and Resilient Rhythms (2002) about dalit responses to marginalisation in India. His films about the violence in Kashmir include PAPA 2 (2002) and The Broken Camera (2020).
Biography Originally from Calicut in Kerala, Menon began working on documentaries at age 19, when he was a student of English literature, active in student politics. While studying for his MBA at PSG Institute of Management in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, he worked with activist C R Bijoy of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, and documented organised violence against Muslims in the city.
After working as a film editor on A Wounded Valley (1998), Menon became interested in making films about the conflict in Kashmir. Unable to get a producer for a feature-length film, he made a 28-minute film about disappearances linked to the Papa II military interrogation centre. PAPA 2, his first film as an independent filmmaker, took two years to release due to its controversial subject. His next documentary, Hey Ram: Genocide in the Land of Gandhi, which he filmed within 3 weeks of the 2002 riots in Gujarat, was screened internationally in the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Asia.
Menon's first feature-length film was Naga Story: The Other Side of Silence (2003) about the Naga people in Nagaland, which won the "Spirit of the Himalayas" prize at The Netherlands Himalayas Film Festival. Another film, Let the Butterflies Fly (2012) about harassment and violence against transgender people, won an award at the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.
His other credits include working as a location director, location producer, and cameraman for the ITV documentary Hindu Nationalism in the UK (2002). He was also location producer and researcher for the BBC television series, India: The Modi Question (2023).
Documentaries
As producer and editor +YearTitleNotesRef.1994Destruction of Tropical Evergreen ForestAs a student, Menon produced this documentary about the destruction of tropical evergreen forests within the Nilgiri biosphere, the mountain range across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.1998The Wounded ValleyA 7-minute film about violence in Kashmir which Menon edited using Hi8 footage.
As director +YearTitleNotesRef.2002PAPA 2A 28-minute film about enforced disappearances in Kashmir valley, which gets it title from the Papa II military interrogation centre in Srinagar. Shot by Menon with a hand-held camera. First screened in London after screenings of Hey Ram (2002).2002Hey Ram: Genocide in the Land of GandhiA 28-minute documentary about violence in Gujarat in 2002. He filmed within 3 weeks of the 2002 riots, making it the first film about the pogrom, and interviewed 80 to 90 victims, 15 of whom are featured. Released through the Delhi Constitutional Club, it was screened internationally in the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Asia. 2002Resilient RhythmsExplores dalit responses to their marginalisation in the caste system in India. Shot in 10 states starting in 1998.2003Naga Story: The Other Side of SilenceA 64-minute film about the history of the Naga people in Nagaland. It took nearly five years for Menon to complete the film. Won "Spirit of the Himalayas" prize at The Netherlands Himalayas Film Festival.2005Of Inhuman BondageA film on women and children engaged in manual scavenging.2009When the State Declares War on the PeopleFirst screened at the Delhi Press Club in 2009, the 23-minute documentary was accepted as evidence in a rape case in Chhattisgarh. Includes footage of a one-year-old baby whose four fingers are chopped off by security forces including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).2010Marching Towards FreedomMenon traveled to 20 states to film this documentary about manual scavenging, a widespread practice in which households illegally pay workers to clean latrines and carry human excreta on their heads to the nearest drain. Despite being banned by law in 1993, an estimated 300,000 manual scavengers were operating in India as of 2011, most of them women who were "Bhangis" from the dalit caste. The film was commissioned by Bezwada Wilson, founder of Safai Karamchari Andolan.2012Let the Butterflies FlyAn exposé of how a Bengaluru police officer, a doctor, and the local media were complicit in forcing a young adult to undergo surgery to reverse their gender transition. Won a prize at the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival for best documentary feature.2014The Killing Fields of MuzaffarnagarMenon camped in Western Uttar Pradesh for 3 months to film the documentary about the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.2014The Unholy War–Part 1: In the Name of DevelopmentMenon directed, filmed, and produced the two-part series on Gujarat between 2002 and 2014. 2014The Unholy War–Part 2: In Search of Justice2017I Am HadiyaProduced by the National Federation of Human Rights Organisation (NFHRO). Tells the story about human rights violations against 25-year-old Hadiya who was being abused and kept at home sedated by her parents.2020The Broken Camera – My Road Reel 2020A 3-minute short film telling the story of how photojournalist Xuhaib Maqbool Hamza lost an eye in 2016. While covering a non-violent protest, he was sprayed with 250 pellets including 2 in his retina and underwent 3 surgeries.
Dramatisations +YearTitleNotesRef.2024Madithattu (In the Lap)A 35-minute short film about a woman raising an intellectually disabled teenage daughter. The film stars Devi Ajith as the mother Shobhana and Sreelakshmi as the daughter Sangeetha. Menon won Best Short Film Director at the 2024 Orissa International Film Festival for this film.
References