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Indian teenagers talk about what inspired them to enter the Faith Shorts film competition

Six Indian entries have been nominated for the inaugural Faith Foundation Faith Shorts Film competition. Two of the shortlisted nominees, Saurav Kumar and R Sangeetha spoke to Indian Express earlier this week about why they decided to film their own Faith Shorts.

“I have always wanted to express what faith meant to me. I just did not know how to go about it. This, I thought, was the perfect platform to explore it,” says 15 year-old Saurav, who first heard about the Faith Foundation’s competition from a poster on his Pitampura school noticeboard.

Saurav’s 3 minute film, Faith is the Question, Faith is the Answer challenged participants to convey how faith influenced their lives. Along with over 20 other shortlisted nominees from around the world, Saurav will find out if he’s won this Thursday evening when the inaugural Faith Shorts award winners are announced at a special ceremony at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in central London.

For R Sangeetha, a 13-year old from Ahlcon International School, her grandmother represented a symbol of faith. “I have heard stories from my mother how grandma survived paralysis when doctors had given up hope. Due to her willpower and faith she was able to pull through,” says Sangeetha, also one of the shortlisted nominees. Her three-minute film, Grandma or Godmom, involves a narration by Sangeetha about her grandmother’s condition with intermittent narratives by family members. “She was the first person who came to mind when I thought of this project,” she adds.

Entries have been shortlisted from around the world including Singapore, Jordan, India, the USA, Egypt, Argentina, Pakistan, UK, New Zealand, Lebanon and the Philippines. Young people of every background with no access to equipment took part – by sending their written “pitches”. The Foundation sent flip cameras to the best 50 entries in these countries to ensure every young person could bring their ideas to life.

The powerful films produced deal with family, loss, overcoming adversity, personal devotion and hope. There have been entries from those without a faith telling us how their different beliefs inspire them and stories from those who found inspiration in their religion. 

To find out more about Faith Shorts and the work of the tony Blair Faith Foundation, visit the Foundation’s website