Wildlife Week Film Festival

09:00 AM

Race to Save the Amur Falcon

A film by Shekar Dattatri
20 min

In the state of Nagaland in India’s far northeast, a small team of conservationists discovered something that was both enthralling and alarming.

In the winter of 2012, they stumbled upon a vast congregation of Amur falcons around a remote reservoir. Simultaneously, they also witnessed local hunters capture and slaughter tens of thousands of the little raptors for consumption.

This is the story of the investigative documentation that followed, and the campaign that was launched to save the migrating falcons. Produced by Shekar Dattatri from footage contributed by many photographers, this 20-min film seeks to inspire its audience. In a world where conservation successes are few and far between, the campaign to save the Amur falcon shows us how a small group of determined people can still make a big difference.

09:25 AM

Crabs of Karwar

Directed by: Adarsh Raju & Radha Rangarajan
12 min, 2015, India
Most of us encounter crabs at our dining tables. From crabs plucked out of the riverbed with bare hands to trawlers that cast out massive nets, we tread into the world of crabs in many ways. The journey of a crab from the coast to the kitchen is a long one, and touches many lives. But, how much do we really know about the life of a crab? The ones on the beach, the ones on the mudflat, the ones in the mangroves and the ones on the rocky shore – we take you on a short trip into the world of crabs.

09:40 AM

Kali

Directed by: Amoghavarsha
24 min, 2015, India

Embark on an epic journey with 100 year old Janaki and her grandson as they walk to the source of the river Kali deep inside the jungle from their tiny hamlet cut off from civilisation. A journey to keep alive an ancient tradition as they offer their prayers to the revered mother.

10:10 AM

The Mangroves

Directed by: Pooja Gupta
13 min, 2015, India

The ‘mangals’ like most wetlands are misunderstood spaces. Often associated with wasteland, odour and fear. These forests that straddle land and sea, are in fact one of the most productive and diverse systems on our planet. A walk, wade or boat into the mangroves reveals a phenomenal range of observations, learning and live demonstrations – of physical, chemical, biological and design processes. The film is an outcome of our experimentation with using the mangroves as a classroom and a living laboratory.

10:30 AM

Taming the Teesta

Directed by: Taylor Graham
17 min, 2015, India

Taming the Teesta traces India’s mighty Teesta River upstream from the plains of West Bengal to its churning headwaters high in the Himalayas. Along the way, the film tells the story of those fighting back against the rampant hydroelectric development taking place along the river’s course and exposes the gross injustices done to the region’s unique peoples and environment by those who seek to dam the Teesta.

10:50 AM

A Thirsty World

Directed by: Thierry Piantanida and Baptiste Rouget Luchaire
90 min

This film looks at one of the major challenges to human survival: WATER.

Today, against a backdrop of sharply increasing demand, growth in the world population and the growing impact of an unsettled climate, water has become one of the most precious natural resources of our planet.

Faithful to Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s reputation, A THIRSTY WORLD, filmed in some 20 countries, reveals the mysterious and fascinating world of fresh water through spectacular aerial images shot in regions that are difficult to reach and rarely filmed, like Southern Sudan or Northern Congo. It also lets us discover the most beautiful landscapes on our planet, the lakes, rivers and wetlands created by water.

A THIRSTY WORLD attempts to bring together Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s trademark aerial view of the world with the harsh, everyday reality of all those people who are deprived of water and may even die for lack of it, the people engaged in the daily struggle to find water, purify it or bring it to those who need it.

The film is built up on a host of encounters. A shepherd from north Kenya looks us in the eye and says he has killed for water and would do so again. Women dance when water finally arrives in their village. An atypical United Nations ambassadress talks about her combat to make governments too commit to providing access to water and the most modern purification techniques to guarantee the survival and health of the poorest populations.

Reportages filmed in Europe, Africa, Asia and America invite comments from the people working and innovating to bring water to those who need it, use it more intelligently, purify it, or, better still, stop polluting it. Engaging personalities, internationally recognized or simple front-line players, illuminate the film with their energy, their imagination and their enthusiasm. Because access to clean drinking water is more than ever the big challenge of tomorrow.

12:30 PM

BOUVETØYA

Directed by: Jason Rodi
46 min, 2014, Canada

BOUVETØYA is a personal voyage across tumultuous seas, to leave a message to future generations on the summit of the most remote land on the planet: Bouvet Island.

They have climbed the highest mountain on every continent and walked across deserts of snow to the North and South Poles. Now, father and son are sailing across some of the toughest oceans to the most remote, unexplored place on Earth – Bouvet Island. Jason Rodi, a filmmaker, joins his father Bruno, a globetrotting explorer, on a remarkable adventure to a volcanic land mass located in the heart of the Antarctic Ocean. On Bouvet Island, Jason and Bruno trek to the summit and plant a time capsule, a titanium tube filled with messages from around the world. The content of the time capsule, like the challenges facing them on their journey, make THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH – a dramatic quest, a stunning documentary that combines wildlife, human adventure and a distinct global message.

01:20 PM

Terra

Directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand Michael Pitiot
90 min

Terra, an Ode to Humanity.

TERRA tells the story of life. Yann Arthus Bertrand and Michael Pitiot reveal the incredible saga of our living planet. From the first lichen to the gigantic forests, monkeys of the jungle to the mythic animals of the savannah. Over barely 10,000 years, life on Earth has been profoundly affected by the incredible development of humanity. But mankind is now increasingly isolated. How have our relations with other living beings changed so much? What do we still see, or notice, of the living world around us? TERRA is a journey through the history of life forms, a quest for the animal within us. For true humanity.

TERRA is not a wildlife documentary. Nor is it a militant investigative documentary. TERRA is an essay, in the literary sense, on the human species and its relationship with other living beings.

By proposing that we once again treat wildlife with the respect it deserves, TERRA shows its credentials as an ode to the human species, a humanist and deliberately positive film, openly advocating that humanity is still capable of “getting back to basics”.

02:50 PM

Water is life. Don’t undermine it

Directed by: Ben Pearce
5 min, 2016, Animation

This vibrant animation from The Gaia Foundation and animator Ben Pearce takes us on two very different journeys through the water cycle. One shows the life-giving nature of water for everything from forests to frogs. The other reveals the ways in which mining is damaging the water cycle, putting life itself in jeopardy.

03:00 PM

4 Deadliest Snakes of India – a survival guide

A film by Sara
16 min

How to avoid close encoutners with snakes – every year, 50,000 men, women and children die from snakebite in rural India. Most of these deaths can be prevented! Follow these simple guidelines to avoid snakebite. This film is the start of a public awareness campaign to teach people how to avoid snakes.

03:20 PM

Tigers in the backyard

A film by Raghunath Belur and Sughandhi Gadadhar
10 min

Tigers and man have existed together for many years, but the need for space and sharing of resources has led to a slight imbalance, thereby frequenting the conflict scenario between the two.

However, the situation on ground is not all grim. Communication and interaction with the villagers has helped form an invisible bridge and a relatively visible communication channel between the Forest department and villagers. This initiative started by Last Wilderness Foundation (LWF) 4 years ago, has led to a smoother management of conflict situations in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. This communication channel has also helped in sensitizing the villagers and children towards the biodiversity that exists around them and helps them regain the ownership, which otherwise they feel is lost in the struggle for conservation. Apart from conservation outreach, LWF also engages in training programmes for the Forest Department to help equip them with the necessary management skills.

To further the cause of awareness, LWF has also developed conservation education materials which helps maintain touch points with the villagers.