Green Screens the Vatavaran environment film fest

Out Look, Delhi City Limits, 15 December 2005

1. Monsoon India's God of life -(Shekhar Dattatri)
2. Just Another Death (Vilas Kane)
3. The Policing Langur (Ajay and Vijay Bedi)
4. A Second Hand Life (Nutan Manmohan)
5. Development Flows from the Barrel of a Gun (Bijoo Topoo and Meghnath).
6. Indian Leopards -The Killing Fields (Praveen Singh) was adjudged the best film.
At vatavaran 2005 (Nov 21-24), Perhaps India's only environment and wildlife film festival the offerings were diverse-from Monsoon India's God of life (Shekhar Dattatri) to.. Just Another Death (Vilas Kane) and The Policing Langur (Ajay and Vijay Bedi:see pic). There were shocking tales of environment ruin in A Second Hand Life (Nutan Manmohan) and Development Flows from the Barrel of a Gun (Bijoo Topoo and Meghnath). The award for lifetime achievement Rajesh, pioneered wildlife filmmaking in India. Indian Leopards -The Killing Fields (Praveen Singh) was adjudged the best film.

At such festivals, there are only a few interesting films tucked away amongst many mediocre ones. The tucked is to know what to watch or you are liable to an OD. Star attractions were guests from the UK-Doug Allan, BBC underwater cinematographer (0f Blue Planet fame), Richard Brock, executive producer of living Pnalet Productions and Harriet Nimmo, Chief Executive, wildscreen (the green Oscars). Doug Allan's film on Newfoundland and his footage of the polar regions were uplifting, taking the festival to a new high. Another gem was Wildscreen's best film of the year-The Elephant, the Emperor and The Butterfly Tree-an enchanting film on the mopane woodland of Botswana. {Nupur Sinha}