Journalism of Courage
The festival,aims at generating attention towards issues plaguing nature and wildlife through the films
If the cute little tiger cub sleeping on a tree turned on the attention of an entire nation towards the fast depleting reserves of the tiger populace then the Vasundhara Film Festival which begins in the city from February 14 aims to work in the direction of not just drawing the attention of the city towards the pathetic conditions of endangered animals from across the globe but also about the various other problems that are shadowing the ecosystem.
The festival aims to target the younger audiences and bring them face to face with the problems faced by us owing to our own excessive industrialisation and greed. On a daily basis,7.5 hours will feature the film screenings,while an additional 7.5 hours will have other activities, adds Chitrav.
The Club Vasundhara which is a part of an initiative taken by the organisers of the festival not only organises film festivals on environment but also runs ongoing activities every month by conducting workshops,nature treats,open forums and nature walks.
Speaking more about the festival Chitrav says “We have been organising the Vasundhara film festival since the last 3 years and we aim to publicise issues pertaining to the environment and as of this year also about the appalling state of the tiger in the country. The whole concept of the festival is not just to publicise the issues by showcasing movies but to analyse them and then take some concrete steps towards curbing the elements that are threatening the very existence of mankind.”
The organisers had also recently introduced a programme called the Young Changemaker Pune,which had selected 2 students for the recently concluded Copenhagen summit,in Denmark. Chitrav says that participants at the festival will include children from various city-based schools and also delegates from both Indian and abroad. Instead of blaming youngsters for not being aware about these issues,we should instill in them a hope-belief system that will educate them about the value and importance of the ecosystem, he says.
Some of the films that will be showcased include Home by French director Yann-Arthus Bertrand and The Truth about Tiger. The festival will also showcase films made by children and by renowned conservation and wildlife filmmaker Shekhar Dattatri.
