Uma, a documentary film based on the life and work of well-known sculptor Uma Siddhanta will be screened in the Short and Documentary Panorama category at the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival this year.

The weeklong KIFF will be inaugurated at the Dhanadhanya auditorium tomorrow in presence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries.

Abanti Sinha, a woman documentary filmmaker has made the film. Uma is a biographical film culminating around sculptor Uma Siddhanta.

Uma Siddhanta had worked silently and produced some of the finest works. The number of women sculptor is much less in our country than their male counterpart. She broke the convention that males are better sculptors than women.

Uma Siddhanta was the first woman in the sculpture department of Government College of Arts and Craft, Kolkata, who graduated in 1956.

This documentary is an endeavour to discover the multifaceted artist and her work. Her contribution to the creation of contemporary three dimensional forms is remarkable. Again, her skill in drawing and sculpture is significant.

Abanti has made a documentary on this versatile artist which has been produced by Madhuchhanda Sen and presented by Maya Art Space.

Born on 11 January, 1933 at her maternal uncle’s house in Bonhooghly, Baranagar, her father Sachindranath Roy and mother Bibhabati Devi both had an interest in art. Since childhood, Uma had had a passion for making clay dolls, figurines, etc. She first took art lessons from Phani Bhusan Das, a student of Nandalal Bose.

After finishing school, her parents enrolled him in the Government College of Art and Craft. But the important thing is that being a woman, Uma also had problems in getting admission.

She first faced obstacles while studying sculpture. The examiners advised her to get herself enrolled in the painting department. Their argument was that sculpting required physical strength, which was not possible for women.

But she refused to buy this logic and said the village women do work that is physically straining like they carry water containers or logs to their homes from a distance.

The teachers gave her admission to the sculpture department with a rider that she would be sent back to the painting section if they fail to do the assignments given to her.

The rest is history. She was the first woman sculptor to pass out of the art college. From painting to embroidery, from making Japanese dolls to painting on the barks of betel nut trees she had shown her skills.

Abanti said “I wanted to show Uma Siddhanta’s complete artistic self and also put forward her current situation in the documentary. I believe that Uma can be an icon of inspiration to many people, especially girls.”

The documentary will be screened at Shishir Manch and Nandan 3 auditorium.