The opposite ends

“To put it in simple words the film deals with the idea of Bhanga (To break) on one side and Gara (to create) on the other side. So in totality the film actually means To Break,To Create,” says Dutta the director of the film. The film which won a National Award at the 55th National Awards in the Best Scientific Film (non-feature film) category,was showcased at the Festival of Films on Human Development at the Film and Television Institute of India,on Saturday. The festival featured 26 different films from 13 states and a was a joint undertaken of the Government of India,the United Nations Development Programme and FTII.

Speaking more about the film Dutta says,“When I set out to make the film in the year 2006,I initially went out to make a film on the issue of the identity crisis that the people in the Sundarbans face when the Ganges river floods the areas,but after going to the heartlands of West Bengal I came across the unique problem faced by the people of the Maldah district. So after staying with the people,and interacting with them and even having a first hand experience of the problems faced by them I realised that here was a story that was dying to be told to the world. Hence I went ahead with the idea of the film.”

The film which is shot in two parts focuses on the extreme problems faced by the district. While one part of the district reels under the problem of soil erosion caused due to the floods in the Ganges,the second part,in contrast takes the audience several kilometers inside the district,where the tribal belt suffers from the problem of acute water scarcity. “The whole idea behind the film is to showcase the two extreme roles that water plays in the lives of the people,” he adds.

Dutta also says that while the entire shooting and the research involved with the film took him around 21 days,the problems that were faced by the people was an eye opener for him as well as for the crew. “There was a scene which we were filming in the midst of the Ganges and while trying to cross into another boat mid-river I fell into the water,and almost managed to damage my equipment,” he says. Another important story that the film tells is about the ingenious techniques used by people to ballet adversity.

Dutta says that while the people who were facing the problems of floods and soil erosion,gave up against the sheer helplessness of the problem,the tribals from the interiors have come up with new farming techniques to ensure that they can battle the water scarcity problem effectively.

‘The whole idea of the film is not to just give a suitable ending or to raise a question,but to showcase the two ends of the human spirit. That is what I have tried to show through it,” he says.

Some of the other films at the festival

My Sugar School
Directed by Milind Damle the film deals with the theme of the migratory workers who come down to the sugar belt of Western Maharashtra to cut sugar cane. Speaking about the film Damle says,“The film lucidly tells the story of the ten lakh sugarcane cutters who work in the sugar belt for six months in a year,and the education problems that are faced by the children of these workers.”
While most sugar cooperatives have now started schools for the children at the sugar factories itself,a lot needs to be done to ensure that these children grow up to have a better livelihood. “The film tells the story of Pushpa,a five-year-old,whose parents are migrant workers from Beed district wishes to become a pilot,and the various issues that the workers and their children face,” he adds.
The film showcases the immense talent that the rural children have,and how a simple ride back home to her village in an air-conditioned car,goes a long way in changing the perception about education in the minds of the children.

Punarjanma (Re-birth)
Directed by Anil Zankar the film speaks about the dual nature of development. While on the one hand it opens up new vistas of progress for the rich and the urban population,the rural people are forced to adjust,re-locate and are sometimes forcefully displaced. Speaking about it,Zankar says,“The film doesn’t just tell the story of the displacement of farmers or the subsequent creation of SEZ’s or special IT hubs,but talks about the loss of a socio-cultural identity for the rural world.” The film studies the case of three such districts in Maharashtra namely Pune,Solapur and Satara and talks about the growing urbanization there. “of course the issue is deep rooted and twisted. Because it is these very projects that will eventually benefit even the rural population in the long run. But the question that needs to be asked eventually is that,is it only the rural people who have to adjust to the whims and fancies of their urban counterparts every time? That is the story that we have tried to tell through this film,” he adds. The film though doesn’t provide any concrete answers to the quandary but leaves on a note that through progressive humane state polices by the government and a positive response from the farmers can help rebuild lives even in the rural areas and ensure their development.