ANCIENT INDIAN WISDOM
1. WISDOM OF INDIA / Beta/ Col/ 22 min/ 12 films/ English: Wisdom facets of Indian civilisation
A series of 12 films which deals with the cultural, intellectual and spiritual heritage of India. A formative series that seeks to collate, collect and present the accumulated wisdom of 5000 years of Indian civilisation and its people. These films, each consisting of two parts, are:
1. 'Rasa': the fountain of life, is a journey through the dazzling world of art and craft in India. From the hand crafted clay utensils of Madhya Pradesh to the sensuous dance of Orissa, from the dramatic and startling dance-drama of Kerala to the magnificent Taj Mahal, these two films move through the entire range of the Indian aesthetic experience.
2. 'Vanashree': In an agrarian society people and life are in rhythm with nature and celebrations follow the seasons. Festivals are a time to pause and pray to nature, which brings in prosperity. Years of religion, mythology and culture have created an ethos which is reflected in the Indus Valley civilisation, in the Bishnois who deeply revere all creatures on earth, in the sacred groves or deep forests undisturbed by man, in the worship of Banyan trees, in the Kalpavriksha or the tree of life in the afforestation efforts in Gokul the place of Lord Krishna, in the reverence for snakes, rats and panjrapoles or homes for sick and old animals to mention a few.
3. 'Dharma': This film lends itself to dramatisation, pictorial representation and abstract graphics, as we recreate the Age of the Vedas and the Upanishads, the teachings of Buddha, the sublime poetry of the Sufi saints, the epic wisdom of the Bhagvad Gita or the Mahabharata and the teachings and insights of great sages.
4. 'Shunya - Where Knowledge Begins': The astronomical discoveries of Aryabhata, the genius of C.V. Raman, the discovery of 'zero' in Vedic mathematics, ancient commerce with other countries. These films display some amazing scientific and commercial exploits of ancient India interfaced with contemporary scientific and commercial skills of Indians.
5. 'Triveni - Where Rivers Meet': In India which is vast and geographically diverse, where there are people whose lives revolve around the vast mountain ranges of the Himalayas, those who belong to the river, valleys and plains, those who are dependent on its immense coastline and the sea, who are undaunted by its desert expanse. What sets them apart is their specific situations and differing customs. What draws and binds them together are the common threads weaving together centuries of living together and coming to share what can only be called a composite culture.
6. 'Jana Gana Mana - The Mind of the People': These films unravel the complexities and contradictions deeply entwined in the social and political fabric of Indian Society. These films takes off on a voyage of discovery through the basic social institutions in India i.e. the family particularly the joint family, marriage, position of women, value systems or samskaras, the four ashramas which spans out the entire life of an individual, the caste system, guilds and village specialisation, Kautilya's arthashashtra, democracy and gram panchayats.
2. WAYS OF KNOWING /Beta / Col/ 45 min/ 13 films/ English: Folk and tribal wisdom of India
This unique in-depth 13 part series is an evocative showcase of the life and living of some of the folk and tribal communities in India. This series documents not only their culture and way of life but also their social, political and economic institutions that have preserved and propagated different knowledge streams for generations, but are threatened by extinction in the wake of "modernity" and "globalisation". This project is the first in India in this scale that documents and disseminates these valuable aspects of traditional knowledge in India before they are lost forever. The series includes:
1. "Seeking for Lohripur, The Mythical City of Iron": A film on the Agaria community, originally iron-smelters from Madhya Pradesh, Central India. The Agarias have known the art of extracting iron from iron-ore for centuries. The community lives in the margins of society, reduced to being ironsmiths and agricultural labourers. But many traditions and rituals
have survived the onslaught of modernity and their communal wisdom can still be seen in these.
2. "Johar: Greetings from the Baiga": A film on the Baiga, An agricultural community of Madhya Pradesh. The film focuses on their highly evolved social order as well as their renowned hunting and trapping methods and techniques.
3. "Shades of Gray": A film on the Irula community, originally, hunter-gatherers of Tamil Nadu. This film is a journey with a group of Irulas, where we experience a part of their lives as hunters for daily food. The Irulas are not traditionally snake-hunters, as they are often known to be. The film also highlights some of their positive interaction with
the modern world and also about efforts made to preserve their knowledge systems.
4. "Jal, Jangal, Zameen OR No Free Lunches": The life of the tribes in Jharkhand, a newly formed state with the highest concentration of indigenous peoples. The film probes into the aftermath of "development" - from being self-sufficient and free to being displaced impoverished and yoked to the whims of a world they know nothing about. It exposes the richness of the wisdom traditions and knowledge systems, which are annihilated on the altar o f "National Progress". It questions the very meaning of "Development and Progress". This film has been nominated for the Mumbai International Film Festival in the International Competition Section.
5. "My Banjara Diary": The film tries to capture the life of the once-nomadic tribe of Western India, the Banjaras. The community is seen by Atmaram Kaniram Rathod, who is himself, a Banjara, now converted to Christianity. Community life and bonding, faith healing, medicine system -
these aspects of traditional Banjara wisdom have been interlaced with modern interpretations and readings of the same.
6. "Birhor: The Eternal Wanderer": A film on the Birhor Community, hunting and food gathering tribe of Bihar, Central India. Living in leaf huts called kumbhas, the Birhor maintain their close links with nature and still rely on hunting and food gathering as a mode of subsistence. The film gives glimpses of community members on their expeditions to obtain honey; hunting small animals; and identifying and gathering edible fruits, stems, leaves, roots and medicinal herbs. The futility of the imposition of modern ideas of civilisation on indigenous peoples is also brought home by including the
derelict situation of some Birhors who have been provided cement houses by government schemes.
7. "Miles of Music": This film tries to capture the soul of Manganiar and Langa villages of Rajasthan that in their entirety are dedicated to different aspects of spreading the joy and wisdom of their folk music.
These musical practices are presented as part of an oral tradition, which enfolds the history of a people (even with its changes ). An entire thought and philosophy of music is nurtured and continues to flourish and evolve in the changed context.
8. "Mirages for Sale": A film on the Rabaris, originally a migratory camel/sheep rearing community inhabiting the arid landscapes of Western India. The film focuses on indigenous architecture. The director visited the Kutch during and after the devastating earthquake that ravaged the region to discover that traditional mud houses or Bhungas had remained intact, while houses of brick and cement had crumbled into meaningless rubble. The film examines the structure and elements of the Bhungas that make them earthquake friendly. It explores why, inspite of this,
this invaluable architectural heritage is under the threat of being lost.
9. " Not Just a Point": About the Varmam tradition of medicine practised in South India. The film explores the unique world of the traditional healer and his knowledge. This tradition of medicine is not well known within the country like the classical traditions of Ayurveda, Siddha etc. The number of practitioners is decreasing. These aspects are studied alongside the dual nature of the art of varmam, which can be used "to heal or to harm". The debate that ensues includes traditional and modern practitioners and examples of treatment that are a revelation to contemporary medicine.
10. "I am Still Standing": on the Warli community of Maharashtra, Western Inda. The film studies Warli painting - its tradition and changes - to establish Warli art as a unique record of the community's culture, mythology and history. The film explores various socio-cultural traditions and how the community tries to stand firm against the invasions of modern society to maintain its dignity and socio-cultural independence.
11. "The Kinnaurs": traditional sheep rearers of Himachal Pradesh, North India. The film travels trek up and down mountain paths with the meek Kinnaurs and their flocks and salutes their indomitable courage that braves the harshest of environments. The film includes an amazing example of indigenous sustainable technology - stones bound together with grass that carry melted snow from mountain peaks to the Kinnaura villages below. The Kinnaurs believe that this water harvesting system is not man made, but was built by the gods and Lamas they believe in. This brought forth-another interesting dimension of religion as a medium for the propagation of indigenous wisdom. But along with the role of religion the Kinnauri way of living is also slowly changing and emulating mainstream society.
12. "A Brush With Life": This film presents the life of the Rathwas of Gujarat, Western India, moving between their faith and their art. As in many traditional societies, many art forms assume spiritual and social significance within Rahtwa community living. For instance, wooden sculptures that guard Rathwa farms are installed in the memory of dissatisfied souls of ancestors. Spirits, which haunt community members, in the form of these sculptures become guardians and caretakers. Similarly the ritual Pithoro Painting is a thanksgiving offering for wish fulfilment. These wall paintings while illustrating the embodiment of history and beliefs through art (for a modern interpreter like the filmmaker) are also simply a reason for the entire community to get together.
13. "Tales from Another Land": This film is a documentation the social structure and customs of the Bodos of North East India. Within their highly evolved social order are woven many strands of traditional living that form the fabric of support structure for individual members as well as for the growth of the community. Community fishing, villagers cutting and stocking wood together for each member, the self-government system of the village that maintains law and order yet does not alienate the miscreant. Glimpses of such simple yet beautiful community living are featured in the film alongside the specific roles that individuals have to perform. The medicine man or Ojha who possesses seemingly miraculous cures for malaria, typhoid, rheumatic pain and hormonal imbalances; the village priest (also called Ojha) who establishes contact with the non-manifest world: the Gaonbura or headman and his assistant, the Halmazi.
