Posted in Documentary, tagged Documentary on December 21, 2009|
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This is a well presented documentary of Chilika Lake , the largest coastal lake in India. Until the 1970’s the lake and her people lived a peaceful sustainable life. They found out the prawns that had been the primary source of the village for food was considered a luxury and much sought after item in the Western world. The next four decades are chronicled to show the progression of the dark side of globalization on this small fishing village.
(Chilika Bank$’ traces 40 years of ecological changes in Asia’s largest brackish water lake. Situated in the state of Orissa, Chilika is a vast lake spread over three districts in the state. In the lake almost 50 rivers & rivulets merge with the water from the Bay of Bengal, making it a rare mixture of saline & fresh water. Chilika has a unique bio-diversity with many endangered species of flora & marine fauna. The film traces the changes in the lake since the export of the Prawns began in the 1970s. The gradual changes in the society, its values and relation with the lake. The film is told from the perspective of a banyan tree on the shores of Chilika who is a witness to these changes. The 1980s when the lake was over-fished; the 1990s when aqua culture began in a big way, further endangering Chilika’s ecology; and 2001 when, in order to prevent the imbalance of salt and fresh water in the lake, the controversial ‘artificial sea mouth’ was opened – a decision that continues to threaten the livelihoods of the fisher-people and the life of the lake herself.)
Once again the producer is Rajiv Mehorta. The story is narrated from the watchful eye of a lone Banyan tree. I in particularly like the beginning narration from the tree’s view.
” In the golden lap of the sun sets over another day, the lone traveler walks the pathway drowning in solitude. In the twilight hour the Banyan tree begins a tale, as the twilight caresses its leaves. It is believed they tremble with an awakening, that moment the Banyan can see everything, here everything. The moment the sun sleep in the lap of the lake.
The Lake shares her joy and her sorrow with the tree. Who else bothers about the lake anymore? The joy of the fishes was stolen by the fisherman. The smiles of the fishers were traded in business. The pleasure of business was sold in market. To all this stood a witness, the Banyan Tree. Clothed in the shadows of the night the Banyan will tell many stories. Tales of fishes and fisherman, tales of fractured relationships, tales of lake Chilika.”
Link to Documentary
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1209/-Chilika-Bank/TUE9PStP
Chilika Bank : Director: Akansha Joshi | Genre: Documentary | Produced In: 2008
Synopsis: In a canvas spread over four decades, a banyan tree, on the banks of the lake Chilika, silently whispers tales of the lake and her fisher folk. From the times when there was no export bazaar to the time when there maybe no lake.
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