Nature lovers in Delhi have a treat in the form of the ongoing CMS Vatavaran Film Festival. CMS Vatavaran, the environment wing of the Centre for Media Studies, Saket, is celebrating ten years of its fruitful existence, by screening no less than 70 films on various environmental subjects over October, November and December. The fest, which started on October 24, is being held at the CMS Research House in Saket.
The CMS Vatavaran film fest started way back in 2002. Since then, six competitive and 39 travelling festivals have been held under the banner across Delhi and 30 other cities of the country. Till date, 119 environmental films have been awarded through this platform.
A spokesperson for CMS Vatavaran informs Metrolife, “This film festival is an outcome of CMS’ core commitment to go ‘beyond research.’ The rich experience of CMSV in environmental issues and developmental communication, and the urge to perform the role of a practitioner of its own research, sowed the seeds of CMSV film fest.”
“Though we are utilising the medium of films, our aim is to use it as a tool to create an impact. We want to sensitise people about their rich environmental heritage and the need to conserve it. We are proud to say that over the past ten years, CMSV has reached no less than 5 lakh people and created a strong network of filmmakers, policymakers and nature-enthusiasts.”
The bouquet of award-winning films being screened reflects on a range of issues like climate change, natural heritage conservation, water, biodiversity, renewable energy etc. For example, there is Shekar Dattatri’s Chilika - Jewel of Odisha: a film about the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia which is dying today. Chilika is the largest wintering ground for waterfowl in the Indian subcontinent and home to the highly endangered Irrawaddy
dolphin.
Then there is S Nallamuthu’s Tiger Dynasty – a film which traces the journey and fight for survival of Baghani - A young tigress called Baghani is taken from her home in Ranthambore National Park and released in Sariska National Park where all 24 tigers were killed by poachers. Also see journalist Bahar Dutt’s Saving the Ganga on a small farming community in South India deciding to switch from their decades-old practice of
chemical agriculture to organic farming.
In the international category, watch out for The New Environmentalists - From Chicago to the Karoo (by John Antonelli and Will Parrinello), Europe’s Last Wild Horses (Christian Baumeister), The Last Ocean (Peter Young), Finland - Wild Scandinavia (Oliver Goetzl) and The Last Lion (Dereck and Beverly Joubert) among many others. Check the schedule at http://www.cmsvatavaran.org/intro.php.
