The transition of a village from hunters of Amur Falcons to becoming their most fervent preservationists, the story of a Kashmiri man quitting his job as an ethical hacker in Silicon Valley and embarking on a journey to become a shepherd in Ladakh, the true story of the hardships and sacrifices of the sulphur miners of KawahIjen in Indonesia, a documentary on the beauty of the Dal lake and its deteriorating condition due to multiple reasons, how a father of an asthmatic son in Warsaw searches for answers on why air pollution continues to be a major problem in Poland, the toxic chemical terrorism responsible for the ‘cancer belt’ of Punjab-all such ecological concerns and challenges faced at the national and international level are part of the film fiesta.
‘Quotes from the Earth’, a three-day Environmental film festival by Toxics Link and India International Centre with support from The Swedish Society For Nature Conservation kicks off in New Delhi in the first week of December and aims to sensitize the lay man towards the critical environmental issues plaguing the world today.
‘Quotes from the Earth’ is one of the oldest environmental film festivals in the country and has been organized in the Capital since 2004.Apart from thought-provoking films by renowned Indian environmental filmmakers like S. Nallamuthu, Gautam Pandey, Doel Trivedy and Jalal Ud Din Baba, film viewers will also get to watch internationally acclaimed films from countries like Russia, Turkey and The Dominican republic. “This is a wake-up call,” said Ravi Agarwal, Director of Toxics Link. “We have got to preserve our environment and prevent further degradation. Or else it will be too late.”
The festival, over the years, has attracted people from all walks of life including students, film lovers, environment enthusiasts and citizens. As many as 28 films will be screened this year which includes award winning films like ‘The Pangti Story’ by Sesino Yhoshu and 'The Birdman of Chorao'. Besides showcasing films, there is a Q&A session with the directors after the completion of each of the films where they put light on the struggles and challenges faced by them.
The films by and large come under five broad themes-Biodiversity, Sustainability, Climate Change, Water and Chemicals and they focus upon different issues, regions and struggles to give the audience a better chance to understand and engage with the stark environmental challenges. They deal with contemporary and topical issues like global warming, GM foods, smog and air pollution and forest fires. “The film festival is an excellent opportunity for the citizens of Delhi to be sensitized towards the issues affecting us like the deteriorating air quality and an occasion to learn from some of the global experiences through the medium of films,” said Satish Sinha, Associate Director of Toxics Link.
The biennial film festival, now in its 8th edition, will be held at the India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, on December 6th, 7th and 8th, 2018.
