Press Coverage
Films focus on man's bond with nature

Assam Tribune, Monday, November 27, 2006

GUWAHATI, Nov 26 - The age-old bond between traditional communities and nature and the impact of an environmental crisis on them, particularly the women, and the crumbling social institutions of the tribal society in the face of modern influence were the themes in some of the films screened at the CMS Vatavaran-2006 Environmental and Wildlife Travelling Film Festival today. Eleven acclaimed Indian films on environment were screened on the concluding day.

The first three films screened today had the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh as their focus. Dance with Hands Held Tight by Krishnendu Bose centres around the lives of women of three different communities in Arunachal, Orissa and Karnataka respectively. The lives of these women are closely woven around the natural world, and invariably they are the worst sufferer in the event of any ecological imbalance.

When the Mist is Lifted by Moji Riba deals with the conflict that many tribal societies are facing today with modern culture eroding their conventional lifestyle and traditional social institutions. The community life is fast giving way to the individualistic existence.

The Green Warriors-Aaptanis by Jyoti Prasad Das delves deep into the life and social practices of the Apatanis, and gives an account of how the community - known for keeping intact their close affinity with nature - continues to strive to keep their valley green. Their rich repertoire of traditional wisdom and knowledge, as exemplified in their ingenuous agriculture methods, comes to the fore.

Among the other films screened were The Policing Langur by Ajay and Vijay Bedi, A Second Hand Life by Nutan Manmohan, Indian Leopards - The Killing Fields by Praveen Singh, In Search of a Job by Mrinal Talukdar, Where The Tallest Grass Grows by Mauleenath Senapati, Point Calimere - Little Kingdom by the Coast by Shekar Dattatri, Leaving No Trace - Cyclist in the City by Prayas and Manjushree Abhinav and The Last Flight by Nutan Manmohan.

The Policing Langur captures the colourful vista of man-monkey relationship in India that stretches from mythology to the modern. It makes for a captivating tale of veneration, tolerance and co-existence.

A Second Hand Life, an investigative film, brings to light the grim, murkier side of information technology. Tonnes of electronic waste from obsolete computers and televisions are being exported to poor countries like India from the Western world. More than 1.38 million obsolete PCs have been dumped in India in the last five years.

Indian Leopards - the Killing Fields highlights how the lack of knowledge about this magnificent and elusive animal adds to the threat of its survival. It is woven around a family that lost a child, a scientist trying to understand the leopard, and conservationists trying to balance between the need to conserve wildlife and the need to protect people.

In Search of a Job by Mrinal Talukdar narrates the predicament of the domestic elephants in Asom that have been rendered jobless following the ban on tree-felling by the Supreme Court in 1996. Left to fend for themselves, the majestic animals can be seen even begging for food in markets and streets.

Where The Tallest Grass Grows portrays man's intimate bond with bamboo, the tallest grass species, without which life at the grassroots in Asom is impossible even for a day. In portraying the age-old tradition, the film suggests the possibilities of developing the tradition for the benefit of those at the grassroots who have been responsible for keeping the culture alive for ages.

Recognising that visual media has far reaching influence, the festival was conceived with the dual purpose of generating awareness on environmental issues and to recognise and applaud the environment and wildlife filmmakers.