Analysis without agenda: Creating spaces for understanding and empathy

Posted on March 2, 2026 by beenasarwar

‘Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines’ wins two awards at Jalgaon International Film Festival

The world is in turmoil. And we can still celebrate that our Pulitzer Center-supported documentary ‘Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines’ received two awards at the Second Jalgaon International Film Festival, in Aurangabad (now Chhatrpati Sambhajinagar), India. at a ceremony on Sunday, 1 March 2026, for Best Social Film (Outstanding Achievement), and Best Screenplay. 

The 24-minute film explores the situation two years after the island nation’s economic collapse. We filmed at a remote, ancient village (puranagama) in Sri Lanka’s North-Central Province, talking to farmers, teachers, and school children, then to policy makers, economists and then Prime Minister in the capital Colombo.

Educational and political activist Mirza Dawood Azad and engineer Shoeb Shah receiving the awards on behalf of Sapan. Photo: Supplied

Some press coverage ahead of the event:

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Three films and a play: Boston area events plus my notes on recent Sapan News features

Posted on September 29, 2024 by beenasarwar

Film screenings by Anand Patwardhan in Cambridge MA TODAY and tomorrow. My documentary at Tufts on Wednesday. The sublime musical play ‘Madho’ at Wellesley next weekend. The latest Sapan Alliance newsletter has more events and info about other events, including in Colombo. Scroll below for my conversation with Mayank Chhaya on the Sri Lanka elections, plus pix from ‘Democracy in Debt’ Global Community Screenings – some 40 events in 14 countries across 5 continents – and my notes on recent Sapan News features.

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