I am 20

Director S.N.S.Sastry traveled all over the country India in the year 1967 & interviewed young nation's youth to make a short non-fiction documentary "I am 20".

I am 20
S.N.S.Sastry, India 1967, 18 mins

The progress of any country can be shown in different ways & here the director speaks to those who were born in the same year when independent India was born. Some interesting questions were asked about themselves, their ambition, what they feel about the progress of the country and what is to be done for the future. Their response was the mixture of irony, sarcasm, idealism, optimism & hope.

While watching this short film, I found an interesting connection with the generation gap. Nowadays we (our generation of 20s) hesitate to bond with the thinking of our previous generation because of the huge technological progress that we have made in this tech-savy era & other current issues. 

But after watching the film, I noticed a compelling fact that our past generation in the 60's era used to think exactly the same way we use to think now. After 47 years, we encounter changes in our outer appearances with different work culture (basic things remaining the same), that makes the film as relevant today as it was then.

So the question to the Indian youth of 20s (those who have seen the film & if not, I suggest you to see it first)--

If you ask yourself the same questions that were asked in the film, what comes on your mind? 

Sicko, Dir. Michael Moore

(1) "Do you have any health insurance?" --- This is the first question asked before admitting any patient in the private hospitals of India.

(2) "How much health insurance do you have?" --- this is the vital question. Treatment depends upon the answer. That's where the corruption creeps in. 

India, where the majority of the population lives under poverty line, these private hospitals are earning their profits unwisely without following any rules or regulations. In fact, they have their own health policy, which is affordable only by a small fraction of rich people in India.

Now coming back to the award winning documentary "SICKO", director Michael Moore, has shown the profit-oriented health maintenance organizations(HMO) in United States which is similar with the corrupted health system of India.  Getting life insurance in US depends upon meaningless terms & conditions. Many people in US are living without any life insurance and they have no adequate money to afford for their treatment where as in countries like England, Canada, France etc people over there don't worry about paying before undergoing any treatment in hospitals. Free universal health care system makes life meaningful without having the fear of losing one's entire life income to become a victim of profit making health system. 

Here in the documentary, 3 rescue workers of 9/11 were chosen by the director to represent the abusive health system of US. After the traumatic incident of 9/11, these 3 workers were considered as heroes at that time for saving so many lives, sacrificing their own health. Now after 5 years of 9/11, no one in America remembers these real life heroes when they are suffering from different health related symptoms that came while rescuing people from World Trade Center and they don't have enough money for their treatment. US Government doesn't want to take any responsibility for their treatment.

CUBA

"CUBA" is considered as a dangerous place with leftist ideology for americans in US. Government intervention is there everywhere. So how can the health system be left without any government intervention and guess what, treatment in Cuba is very cheap, almost free in comparison to US.

So what do you think? Is it possible for these rescue workers to get proper & affordable treatment in CUBA?

If you want to know, then you must watch the documentary to have a fair idea about some amazing health systems that are unbelievable for the people of developed nations like US and developing nations like India.

"IF YOU CAN FIND MONEY TO KILL PEOPLE, YOU CAN FIND MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE" --- Tony Benn (British Labour Party Politician)