A festival of 17 short films written and directed by students from indigenous communities and 10 books by others like them, to be released on Sunday (October 27), present the entire spectrum of life’s experience that include breakdown in familial relations, friendship and love, tradition and modernity, use of indigenous languages in schools, natural calamities and homelessness, plastic pollution, and the need to redeem the world for our future.
Organised by the Kudumbashree Mission’s ‘Kanas Jaga’ (Dream Place) programme, the festival opened to enthusiastic appreciation at St. Theresa’s College on Saturday (October 26). The venue resounded with songs, rhythm, and voices from the indigenous communities as people gathered to witness the event and meet the young filmmakers and writers.
Arya Babu from Begoor in Wayanad is a Plus One student, who was moved by the enormity of the massive landslides that hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages in the district in July this year. Natural calamities that strike the communities, living mostly on hill tops or on the slopes at different times and thousands of them being rendered homeless at the blink of an eye, form the theme of the book she has written in a collection to be released on Sunday.
Vineetha, a Plus One student from Parambikulam, and her friends conceived and produced a short film on plastic pollution as seen through the eyes of the young generation from communities that live in the lap of nature and are sensitive to the harm being done to nature. She said the film was shot using her mobile phone as a group of friends shared their ideas about expanding the storyline, writing a script, and bringing out the final product with the support of experts in the field, who voluntarily offered to help them.
Anumitra of Class VIII and Saranya, a Plus One student, are from Attappadi in Palakkad and have brought out a film on the difficulties faced by children like them in accessing education. The short film deals with the difficulties associated with children from the indigenous communities getting access to education and poverty as a major hurdle to attending regular classes.
The students, both authors and film writers, said their first-hand experience of ground-level realities helped them portray the situation as confronted by them. The books and films reflect an innocence and clarity of vision and an eagerness to dream on a borderless horizon. They believe that the world can be rebuilt to accommodate everyone with justice and equality. Kanas Jaga, a Kudumbashree Mission initiative, aims to help indigenous children excel in various fields and deepen their awareness of their surroundings, climate, social issues, and their rights. The project emphasises children’s education, nutritious food, healthcare, and financial empowerment.
The films and books are the result of training around 3,000 children in groups of 30 to 50 in 100 batches. The programme is being implemented among indigenous communities in Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts.
Published – October 26, 2024 07:44 pm IST
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