Casting a celluloid protest

quot;That is the state of the country. People don8217;t recognise the art of making films which go back to the people,quot; said Patwardhan, adding that the majority makes films for festivals and exhibitions, not for the masses. quot;They are more concerned whether the camera shakes or whether they got the perfect shot,quot;, he remarked.

The film was shot ona tight budget of Rs 3 lakh, of which Rs 2 lakh were raised by the fishing community. It documents the economic hardships staring in the face of the fishing community due to the massive inroads made by multinational companies with their 15 km long nets8217; and onboard processing plants. The background commentary speaks of the enemies8217; of the fisherfolk. If in the seventies, it was the mechanised trawler, then in the nineties, it was foreign ships scooping up a catch in one day more than what a 1,000 catamarans did in a year. The film further accuses the government of guaranteeing these big companies the licence to plunder8217;, and the right to mortgage the fishermen for export dollars.8217;

Comments captured in scenes like where a woman says the quot;thieves should not be thrown into the sea because they will only kill our fish,quot; may seem extremist rhetoric; yet Patwardhan insists that from the point of the fishing community, such sentiments are not extreme at all. quot;They are fighting for their very livelihood,quot; hesaid. And he disagreed that by blocking these companies, the fisherfolk are opposing progress. quot;We want technology that is pro-people, not which is pro-big business. The companies are only interested in short-term profits and then run away to new hunting grounds,quot; he added. The screening drew an enthusiastic response as locals tried to outbid each other in identifying the landmarks in the film. It also drew a motley international crowd that has flown in for the documentary festival, among whom was German film-maker Wilden Hahn Klaus. quot;The film is hard-hitting and creates a feeling of comradeship, bypassing national boundaries. Anand knows how to make a difference,quot; he remarked. For Celso De Luccas, whose film Mamazonia will be screened today at the Nehru Centre, Fishing8230; took him back home. quot;This is exactly what happens in Brazil. Anand is excellent at making political films,quot; he said.