[Reader-list] film screening and discussion on narmada struggle

[Asit Das]

Dear friends, docu-wallahs & countrymen,

The dam-displaced citizens of the Narmada valley invite you to a screening
of the independent film DAMMED <http://youtu.be/nk0DsOg8hDA> that gives a
window into their struggle against an exploitative government and venal dam
corporations.



Friday 7 August, 2015 @ 6:30 p.m.

India International Centre,

Lodi Estate, New Delhi.



The film was awarded as the ‘Best Film in Water for All category’ at the
Vatavaran Wildlife & Environment Film Festival, in February 2014.



It won five awards at the IDPA Awards this year, including Gold for Script,
Silver for Cinematography, Editing and Direction, and Certificate of Merit
for Creative Excellence.



It has been produced by National Award-winning filmmakers Nandan Saxena and
Kavita Bahl.



After the film, the filmmakers shall be happy to share their experiences
with the audience. Noted environmentalist, Gandhian and author Sh. Anupam
Misra from Gandhi Peace Foundation shall participate in a discussion with
the filmmakers.



Promo: http://youtu.be/nfNjs_6Z-mc



The film profiles the struggle of the Dam-displaced citizens of the Narmada
valley, sitting submerged in water for 17 days in a Gandhian satyagraha,
daring the government to drown them. We followed the Narmada Bachao Andolan
and the Dam-affected people for 51 days over 2 years (2012-2013). We have
filmed for another 40 days in 2014.



Sadly, the government has started filling the Beda Dam reservoir again,
many villages have been submerged by the rising waters on August 4 this
year. The height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam has also been increased from 122
metres to 138.68 metres, flooding thousands of hectares of fertile land.



The Narmada Bachao Andolan is spearheading an indefinite satyagraha for
‘Right to Life’ – ‘Jeevan Adhikaar Satyagraha.’



Friends, Please wake up and save a little bit of your country before it is
too late.



Do forward this email invitation to kindred souls.









*The Film:*

‘Dammed’ is the story of the citizens living in the valley of River Narmada
– the most dammed river in India. The government plans to build 30 Mega
Dams on the Narmada. These Large Dams are submerging prime fertile land, in
a scam that will imperil the food security of a billion people.



The film investigates the passive genocide of citizens whose lives,
livelihoods and property are submerged to electrify a few corporations and
cities. It questions the modern paradigm of development that makes a priori
assumptions that Mega Dams and Nuclear Energy are essential for ‘progress’.



September 2012.

Madhya Pradesh. India.

The National Hydroelectric Development Corporation raised the level of
water in the Omkareshwar Reservoir, in defiance of the High Court orders.
The dreaded submergence was at hand. No alternate land, livelihood or
compensation was provided.



This was the last straw.

The villagers of Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh did a Gandhi. They sat on their
land- in a non-violent protest- even as the water level rose.



After the media flashed the images of the villagers submerged neck-deep in
the water, there was a nation-wide furore. The government capitulated, but
after 17 days.



‘Dammed’ is the story of the grit and determination of ordinary citizens,
as they defy the vested interests of Corporations and the strong arm of the
government. It follows the drama inherent in the unfolding saga of the
Narmada struggle.



The story of this unique struggle is relevant to all nations that have
Rivers, Dams and People.



The personal stories of the Dam-affected villagers are stories of struggle
and resilience, despair and hope. The brave women who are sustaining the
movement may be illiterate, but they are wise. They realize that their only
ticket to survival is seeking ‘land-for-land’- a fertile land with access
to water, electricity, medical aid and schools.



The visual texture of the film shall give the viewers an intimate window
into the lives of the people fighting for their rights – with all its raw
intensity. Juxtaposed with these are poetic, surreal images of people and
the river. The river becomes a leit-motif.



The aural texture of the film plays with the folk music, songs of protest
and rural soundscapes of the Narmada valley.

#







About us: Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl

Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl are independent film-makers and media trainers.



Over two decades into filmmaking, their oeuvre spans the domains of
ecology, livelihoods, development and human rights.



They have thrice been honoured with the National Film Award for their films:

·      National Award for Best Investigative Film at the National Film
Awards (2011), for the film ‘Cotton for my shroud’
<http://youtu.be/MrZpjbcGXK0>;

·      Special mention for their film ‘Candles in the wind’
<http://we.tl/aBFMn7mpOp> at the 61st National Film Awards (2013);

·      National Award for Best Film on Environment including Agriculture
for ‘I cannot give you my Forest’
<https://vimeo.com/125734392?utm_source=email&utm_medium=clip-transcode_complete-finished-20120100&utm_campaign=7701&email_id=Y2xpcF90cmFuc2NvZGVkfGIxMmYwODllYWU1ZWFlNzA4Yjc4NGRhMjNhNzM3NzNlNzk0fDM0MjMyMzg4fDE0Mjk3MzgyMjN8NzcwMQ%3D%3D>
 (2014).



Their films are people-centric and rooted in people's struggles. Their
experience as journalists forms the bedrock of their filmmaking. While
Kavita worked for Indian Express for six years, Nandan worked as a news
journalist for news organisations like The Communication Group, CMM Ltd and
Asian News International (ANI).

They have also worked with international broadcasters like Al Jazeera and
have experience of live programming- from Election Programming on
Doordarshan and SONY to Live broadcast of the Urs at Ajmer Sharief in 40
countries.



As media-trainers, they offer workshops to initiate inquisitive minds into
filmmaking and photography under the banner - *QuarkWorkshops
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quark-Workshops/186288921554511>*.



They were recently invited to offer a 2-day Workshop
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206437427995718.1073741841.1269471571&type=1&l=f08d2d094c#Workshop%20at%20Films%20Division>
 at *Films Division, Mumbai.* They have offered their Workshops at major
Festivals like IFFI-Goa, Kolkata International Film Festival (2014), Mumbai
International Film Festival (MIFF-2012), VIBGYOR-2015 at Thrissur,
Vatavaran Film Festival (2011), besides many more.



They have also worked as visiting faculty at with the Department of Culture
and Media Studies, Central University of Rajasthan, where they taught
Photography and Video-Production.



Nandan is also an avid photographer. In 2009, he had a 30-day solo
exhibition of his photographs at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
5 Attachments



Preview attachment Dam-v-Web-IIC.jpg
Dam-v-Web-IIC.jpg
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ff00117998&view=att&th=14f069bd49619634&attid=0.1&disp=safe&realattid=f_iczysszh0&zw>
Preview attachment Dam-h-Web-IIC.jpg
Dam-h-Web-IIC.jpg
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Preview YouTube video DAMMED- Promo 2
DAMMED- Promo 2
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk0DsOg8hDA&authuser=0>Preview YouTube
video 'DAMMED'
'DAMMED'
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfNjs_6Z-mc&authuser=0>Preview YouTube
video Cotton for my shroud Promo 1
Cotton for my shroud Promo 1
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrZpjbcGXK0&authuser=0>
Attachments area
Preview YouTube video DAMMED- Promo 2
DAMMED- Promo 2
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk0DsOg8hDA&authuser=0>Preview YouTube
video 'DAMMED'
'DAMMED'
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfNjs_6Z-mc&authuser=0>Preview YouTube
video Cotton for my shroud Promo 1
Cotton for my shroud Promo 1
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrZpjbcGXK0&authuser=0>