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.
