Documentary
Salma to screen at Documentary Edge Film Fest in Auckland
MUMBAI: Kim Longinotto’s film Salma is one of the first five names announced for screening at the Documentary Edge Film Festival 2013, an international documentary film festival in Auckland, New Zealand.
The film is the story of thirteen year old Salma, a Muslim girl in a South-Indian village who is locked up by her family for 25 years. She is not allowed to study and forced into a marriage. She covertly takes up composing poems on scraps of paper. Eventually she escapes and lands up in the hands of a publisher. Salma becomes a celebrated Tamil poet, discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village.
Other films that would also screen at the festival are – Unraveled (USA) by Marc H Simon, How to Survive a Plague (USA) by David France, The Russian Winter (USA) by Petter Ringbom and Her Master’s Voice (UK/USA) by Nina Conti.
The festival will be held from 10 to 21 April while another edition of the festival will run in Wellington from 8 to 19 May.
Documentary
Discovery Channel premieres Unani Ki Kahaani on World Unani Day
Actor Jim Sarbh narrates a journey through Unani medicine, history, and modern wellness
MUMBAI: In celebration of World Unani Day, Discovery Channel has premiered Unani Ki Kahaani, a captivating new documentary narrated by actor Jim Sarbh. The film explores Unani medicine not just as an ancient tradition but as a philosophy of health that remains relevant in today’s world of lifestyle disorders and chronic illnesses.
Produced in collaboration with Hamdard Laboratories, the documentary traces Unani medicine from its roots in ancient Greece to its flourishing practice in India. Along the way, it asks a simple yet profound question: what does it really mean to be healthy? And why do we often treat symptoms without curing the underlying problem?
At the heart of Unani medicine is the belief in balance, between body, mind, spirit, and environment. The documentary reflects on moments like the Covid-19 pandemic, when India turned to both modern medicine and its own centuries-old systems of preventive care.
Jim Sarbh’s narration gives the story a modern voice, guiding viewers through history, philosophy, and science with curiosity and clarity.
Hamdard Laboratories chairman and managing trustee Abdul Majeed said, “Unani Ki Kahaani invites viewers to see healing as more than symptom relief. It is about balance, prevention, and long-term wellbeing. Through Unani medicine, we aim to help everyone understand that true healing restores harmony.”
Commenting on his role, Jim Sarbh added, “Narrating Unani Ki Kahaani was a learning experience. I was struck by how this system connects history, culture, and the idea of living in balance.”
The film brings historical icons such as Hippocrates and Ibn Sina together with Indian pioneers including Hakim Ajmal Khan, Hafiz Abdul Majeed, and Hakeem Abdul Hameed, showing how Unani has evolved as a living, adaptive system shaped by multiple cultures.
Featuring insights from modern medicine, Ayurveda, Unani practitioners, academics, and public health experts, Unani Ki Kahaani bridges traditional knowledge with contemporary healthcare. Its aim is to make holistic healing approachable for everyone, especially younger audiences seeking deeper understanding in a fast-paced world.
