The Hindu Business Line : Lights, camera... wildlife protection

India is a country where animals are worshipped in many places. Yet, recently, television screens were filled with images of a leopard being stoned to death and a live bear set on fire in different parts of the country. It is a paradox that on the one hand we revere animals, while on the other our ignorance leads to fear and mindless killing. Furthermore, trade in animal organs is also destroying our rich wildlife. In such a grim scenario, the Wildscreen Festival in Chennai brought in a ray of hope by educating the public and creating awareness on wildlife conservation.

The biennial Wildscreen Festival has become the world's largest and most prestigious wildlife and environment film festival. Founded in 1982 by Sir Peter Scott, in association with World Wildlife Fund - UK, it attracts famous names from wildlife, conservation and environment circles. It is also a key industry marketplace where many films are bought and sold and new programmes commissioned, making it a haven for wildlife filmmakers. The aim of such a festival is clearly to enhance awareness about Nature along with the need to conserve it globally.

After touring Delhi, Wildscreen India was brought to Chennai by the Alive Foundation (an initiative of Sathyam Cinemas and Ecotone), the British Council, the British High Commission and Naturequest. The highlight of the tour was the special screening of films like Paranormal Pigeons, Planet Earth - Caves and renowned primatologist Jane Goodall's When Animals Talk, based on her work in the wild with chimpanzees. The screenings were interspersed with workshops on cinematography, editing, research and production management for wildlife films.

Powerful medium

MOVING IMAGES: Wildlife filmmaker Shekar Dattatri

So how crucial is the role of wildlife films in the conservation of animals? Says Goodall, "Films are a powerful medium. They immediately hit home with the message. People are shocked when they visually see the mess the planet is in. So they roll up their sleeves and get ready to do something about it," stresses the lady who founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which aims to enhance the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment of living beings.

Adds Shekar Dattatri, famous wildlife filmmaker who was present at the festival: "There are several cases where wildlife films have moved politicians and bureaucrats to take special steps to protect wild animals. I know of a case where sharks on the Gujarat shores were being mindlessly killed by locals and their meat sold for Re 1 a kilo. When a film was shown on the issue, the government machinery immediately swung into action and the fish were saved. Another film was successfully used as evidence in a public interest litigation filed in the Supreme Court."

Stressing on the significance of a festival like this, Dattatri says, "It is sad that in our country of nearly one billion, only a handful of wildlife filmmakers exist. With a festival like Wildscreen, filmmakers get a chance to discuss projects and see the work of their peers who are otherwise isolated in different parts of the planet."

But awareness remains low and there is need to tackle this on a larger scale. Says Goodall, "People have to be taught how much of a disincentive it is to kill wild animals in terms of the value they bring in preserving the ecological balance. Only then will a dent be made."

Local messaging

Language is another barrier in spreading the message. Harry Marshall, creative director of Icon films, has lived in Bangalore and Chennai in his formative years and is familiar with local ground realities. He explains, "Most films are in English and it's important for them to be translated in local languages so that the message reaches a larger populace." Says Jeremy Bristow, producer and director, who strongly advocates the use of films as a medium in environmental protection, "If more feature films like Blood Diamond were made, the message would have a higher impact on a larger audience."

But making films on wildlife in India is no easy task. As Dattatri says, "When the government sees foreign crew shooting in our parks and reserves, they hike the filming fees. This is a great deterrent for Indian filmmakers who certainly cannot afford spending Rs 25,000 a day for a shoot that could go up to 200 days in the wild! Besides, even the equipment needed is capital intensive." He further warns, "All this is deterring even foreign media from shooting here and, unless we wake up, the genre of wildlife filmmaking will die in India, thereby hurting the cause considerably."

He has a suggestion to promote environmental protection. "Religious leaders in India have great power over the people. If they take up this cause and create an awareness amongst their followers, it will make a tremendous difference!"

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