Tracing a Terrain: conversations of people and landscape

Abstract

“Have you seen the Arana^①?” is a feature length documentary that interweaves contemporary narratives with a tribal myth, exploring effects of rapidly changing landscapes on lives and livelihood. The film is set in Wayanad, a region in South India, rich in bio-diversity and threatened by indiscriminate “development”.

Winner of several national and international awards^①, one citation reads: “… is elegant, patient, meditative, and subtle. The director gently moves her audience towards a deep appreciation of the tribal, mythical connections between humanity and the ecosystems that sustain us all.”^②

Initially conceived as a film on the agricultural crisis, my experiences over five years of research helped in understanding complexity of challenges faced by the people of Wayanad. By linking mythical-past with ecology, integrating contemporary concerns with contours of a terrain; I looked for ways to unravel multiple layers of meaning intertwining people and landscape.

Keywords

Film / Contemporary Narratives / Tribal Myth / Agricultural Crisis / Development

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press