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Panning pollution ravaging an island

Staff Reporter

Stunning visuals convey the message in this film

Kochi: Tales of pollution from the industrial belt of Eloor is nothing new. But that did not deter Subhash, a cinematographer, from making a film on the impact pollution has on the picturesque island of Kadamakudy.

Though he shot the film, he was, initially, not sure how the film would be received. After getting enough support from friends, he is slowly beginning to start promoting the film Kadamakudy — The Dying Islands.

He claims to have more than a decade's experience in cranking camera, with some short films, music albums and television commercials to his credit. And when he started working on the documentary, captivating visuals was his first strength.

But his film goes beyond the crust of visual beauty to show the misery that the population is suffering. The mist that veils the island till late in the morning looks appealing as the film opens. But when an aged man, carrying his grandchild in his hands, tells that this smog chokes them and causes illnesses, the film enters another realm.

People afflicted with asthma, living under the threat of fatal illnesses such as cancer, the bane spreading to next generations — issues such as these are communicated through powerful visuals. In one of the shots, Subhash shows a fish gasping for breath in murky, polluted water.

"This life was a daily visual for me, as I live in Varappuzha. It was only when I started making enquiries that I realised the graveness of the situation. I took around one month to complete the film," he said.

Now, he is planning to hold a 30-day digital cinematography workshop at Vypeen. "Many young people who are interested in cinematography told me that high cost at training institutes stop them from getting proper training. That was why I thought of organising a workshop like this." He is also working on a documentary on Krishnamoorthy, a musician from Coimbatore who has no limbs. "Besides conducting concerts at many famous venues, this man takes classes on overcoming obstacles in life for management students." Another work that Subhash has in mind is a short film featuring actor Sreenivasan.

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