Alexandra Thompson, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
Arguably, term one is the most formative period for a lot of us. It is where we have a lot of our ideas challenged, form lifelong bonds and make the ‘big move’ away from home and what was our normality. In the whirlwind of the final weeks of the term, the anxiety and anticipation of the break overwhelmed most other details. To me, it was and remains a blur. There is a specific electricity in the atmosphere cannot be described, only felt.
Yet, amongst the haze, one of the most important and memorable experiences was in English class. We watched Rubaru Roshni - an Indian documentary that epitomises human good through forgiveness and compassion. The Hindi title was originally planned to be and is translated to the English ‘Where the Light Comes In’ (Upadhyay). The power of good- as suggested in the title- is the essence of the film.
The critically-acclaimed production is an anthology of three stories: the murders of Lalit Maken and his wife; the murder of Mariam Vattali; the 2008 Mumbai bombings, and is told from a first-person narrative, involving both the stories and perspectives of the perpetrator(s) of violence and the victims.
These captivating and heart-wrenching stories demonstrate the ability of humans to forgive even the most unforgivable actions. Despite complex emotions and losing those you love the most, the affected seek to heal this pain through the most merciful action: true forgiveness. It was clear to me that this film sets an example for how we, as UWC students should strive to act and exist: our mission to achieve peace is built on clemency and acknowledgement of hurt.
The film shows the fragility of life, the depths of horrific intent and action within others. It shows the force of love and empathy that is strong enough to overpower and conquer evil. Forgiveness transcends even the greatest of tragedies that fellow humans inflict upon one another, and exemplifies the potential of human behaviour in the aspect of forgiveness, compassion and kindness.
In English class, we discussed what we had seen to understand what the documentary was portraying, and what it meant to us. We then were allocated a space of about a week to prepare a mock court case to judge the suspects and declare them innocent or guilty. Each person was allocated a role, be it part of the jury, part of the prosecution or part of the defence, thus making participation mandatory. On the day, some people dressed in appropriate attire for the mock ‘court case’, and we had another teacher sit in on the experience. This class project took us on a journey through our own experiences, emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and incorporating these with the perspectives and facts in the film. Being a collaborative effort, it was surprising to find the level of individualised input and aspects.
One of the things I took from this film and experience was that it allowed me to explore types of conflict I was not aware of: thinking within the local, national and global perspective of conflict and what it means. I believe that this is an issue from which many of us have become desensitised. Sometimes it may feel easier to ignore the more difficult things and to allow the status quo to persist. However, this experience re-ignited and underlined the necessity of questioning the world around us and the world within us.
The aftermath sarked many conversations that allowed us to grow beyond the experiences within class. Each of us took similar lessons and ideas, but different messages lingered within us.
This was one of the most significant experiences in my UWC journey thus far: learning, challenging, experiencing, criticising, exploring, growing, thinking, changing. In hindsight, this experience has instilled in me the importance of understanding perspectives of those who have caused hurt and allowing myself to forgive those who hurt. Whilst the human species is capable of causing such deep and lasting pain, it is also capable of experiencing remorse and regret. From this, we have the ability to progress and build a better, more stable and equitable future.
Yet, amongst the haze, one of the most important and memorable experiences was in English class. We watched Rubaru Roshni - an Indian documentary that epitomises human good through forgiveness and compassion. The Hindi title was originally planned to be and is translated to the English ‘Where the Light Comes In’ (Upadhyay). The power of good- as suggested in the title- is the essence of the film.
The critically-acclaimed production is an anthology of three stories: the murders of Lalit Maken and his wife; the murder of Mariam Vattali; the 2008 Mumbai bombings, and is told from a first-person narrative, involving both the stories and perspectives of the perpetrator(s) of violence and the victims.
These captivating and heart-wrenching stories demonstrate the ability of humans to forgive even the most unforgivable actions. Despite complex emotions and losing those you love the most, the affected seek to heal this pain through the most merciful action: true forgiveness. It was clear to me that this film sets an example for how we, as UWC students should strive to act and exist: our mission to achieve peace is built on clemency and acknowledgement of hurt.
The film shows the fragility of life, the depths of horrific intent and action within others. It shows the force of love and empathy that is strong enough to overpower and conquer evil. Forgiveness transcends even the greatest of tragedies that fellow humans inflict upon one another, and exemplifies the potential of human behaviour in the aspect of forgiveness, compassion and kindness.
In English class, we discussed what we had seen to understand what the documentary was portraying, and what it meant to us. We then were allocated a space of about a week to prepare a mock court case to judge the suspects and declare them innocent or guilty. Each person was allocated a role, be it part of the jury, part of the prosecution or part of the defence, thus making participation mandatory. On the day, some people dressed in appropriate attire for the mock ‘court case’, and we had another teacher sit in on the experience. This class project took us on a journey through our own experiences, emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and incorporating these with the perspectives and facts in the film. Being a collaborative effort, it was surprising to find the level of individualised input and aspects.
One of the things I took from this film and experience was that it allowed me to explore types of conflict I was not aware of: thinking within the local, national and global perspective of conflict and what it means. I believe that this is an issue from which many of us have become desensitised. Sometimes it may feel easier to ignore the more difficult things and to allow the status quo to persist. However, this experience re-ignited and underlined the necessity of questioning the world around us and the world within us.
The aftermath sarked many conversations that allowed us to grow beyond the experiences within class. Each of us took similar lessons and ideas, but different messages lingered within us.
This was one of the most significant experiences in my UWC journey thus far: learning, challenging, experiencing, criticising, exploring, growing, thinking, changing. In hindsight, this experience has instilled in me the importance of understanding perspectives of those who have caused hurt and allowing myself to forgive those who hurt. Whilst the human species is capable of causing such deep and lasting pain, it is also capable of experiencing remorse and regret. From this, we have the ability to progress and build a better, more stable and equitable future.
Bibliography:
www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/rubaru-roshni-is-about-loss-love-and-forgiveness/cid/1685046
www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/rubaru-roshni-is-about-loss-love-and-forgiveness/cid/1685046
Image Citation: https://upperstall.com/film/rubaru-roshni/
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