Eighteen students from the English Department of Fatima College made a documentary about preserving natural resources. Titled A Clarion Call , the 10-minute film takes the viewer through garbage-strewn fields in the villages around Madurai, overflowing dust-bins on the Vaigai bund and heaps of plastic waste on the road-sides. The film makes a reference to the Chipko Movement and the indispensible role of the Bishnoi women in saving the trees in Rajasthan and shows households where people have embraced plastic unmindful of the danger it poses to the environment.
But closer home, at Nachikulam, near Sholavandan people have resolved to shun plastics. The documentary also throws light on this village. “We were surprised at the kitchen gardens in every house, no matter how small, and the efficient disposal off the plastic wastes,” says Adline Aruna, a student.
“During the shooting , the students learnt about segregating degradable and bio-degradable wastes and the hazards of plastic waste,” says P. Krishnamurthy, Leader of Centre for Development Communication, DHAN Foundation, who guided the students. .
“Film-making on issues such as this, expose students to ground realities. When they visit rural areas and speak to the people, they get a perspective of the subject,” says S. Geetha, Associate Professor and Head, Research Department of English.
Through a collaboration with DHAN Foundation, the department has produced nine documentaries so far. “Our first film was on the women self-help groups and later we branched into subjects such as millets, water-scarcity and destruction of Jain beds in and around Madurai including Yaanai Malai,” says Geetha. Some of their documentaries are The trade of trash . This is about a village in the outskirts of the city where people have been affected by diseases due to the dumping of municipal waste by the city corporation. Third eye is on artist Manohar Devadoss and Vanish Wisdom deals with the need to save water. Their documentary on freedom fighter Mayandi Bharati won National award in 2008.
“As post-graduate literature students, the techniques of camera angles and filming were new to us. It was a great learning experience,” says student Tamizh Ilakkiah. The project that went on for a semester involved a lot of ground research. “Initially, we came up with nearly two dozen storylines and some of them involved a little acting and mini-production. Later, we had to cut down on some of the scenes in order to manage with the bare minimum resources that was available with us,” says Sabeetha. “We formed 40 themes out of which we selected ‘Women and Enviornment’. The aim was to showcase how women can make a huge difference in protecting nature. It’s the job of the mothers and teachers who are in primary contact with children to sensitised them to environmental issues,” points out Mrinalini.
“The Chipko Movement is a demonstration of women’s determination to save nature. I think, as a woman, I have a larger role to play in the conservation of nature,” says Shinee.
The department’s next documentary is on the death of Palmyrah trees. The films are available on the >college’s website , Youtube and other social networking sites.
