Azadi: part ski movie, part war film - ESPN, 27 August 2010.Excerpt from the ESPN interview with AZADI: Freedom director Anthony Bonello:
A recent news report stated that 64 civilians have been killed in police and paramilitary action in Kashmir since June 11. Why the hell would you want to go skiing there?
That's a really good question and I ask myself that as we finish up the film while Kashmir is in turmoil again. Strictly in terms of skiing, the mountains there are stunning and the snow is incredible. The recent unrest has happened since our crew left and from speaking to Kashmiri friends, things are the worst they have been in many years. The thing I would point out though is that Kashmiris are now making their demands through protests and demonstrations, which is a significant shift from the militant activities of the 90s. This makes this outburst different from recent history in terms foreigners' safety.
So, the place isn't as dangerous as the media makes it seem?
It probably is if you are in the middle of a march through Srinagar, the capital. From personal experience, I know that Kashmiris have no ill feelings toward foreigners, and the military has no desire to deal with the consequences of infringing with a foreigner, so with some tact and due caution I believe Kashmir is a viable place to visit. It is yet to be seen though how the flare up this summer subsides as the winter approaches.
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