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A different message
Tackling a mammoth problem through the story of three elephants.
Even as the film scales new heights of glory, the director is struggling hard to drive home the message he wants to communicate through his film. `The 18th Elephant - Three Monologues', P. Balan's poignant film on man's cruelty towards elephants is now in the news as one of the five entries nominated for the Green Oscar, a biennial environmental film festival at Bristol, the United Kingdom (U.K.).
"The film was created by a group of people concerned about the erosion of environmental values. The film would not have been made but for cinematographers like Rajiv Ravi, Madhu Neelakantan, Manilal Padavoor and K.G. Jayan, and filmmakers like C. Saratchandran who were ready to work without any schedules or remuneration," said Mr. Balan.
Through the monologues of a domesticated elephant tortured to submission, that of an elephant in the wild and finally, through the death throes of Ganesha, an elephant that was hit by a speeding truck near Aluva, the film communicates the message that denial of coexistence to all living beings would lead to a catastrophe.
The film was made in English in 2002 and the final Malayalam version was completed in 2003. It participated in the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2002, International Video Film Festival (IV Fest) at Thiruvananthapuram and Film South Asia at Kathmandu and was selected for awards by juries headed by personalities such as Jahnu Barua and Mark Tully.
"I joined this movement because of my commitment towards a lifestyle that is in harmony with Nature," said Elayadoth Divakaran of Shivani Creations that produced the film under the banner of Alternative Network of Media People (ANMPU).
After winning a prize at Kathmandu, the film was screened at different universities across the world as part of the touring festival of films that featured in the competition. Going by the response evoked by the film, Mr. Balan said, "the message of a collective effort to check the violation of nature has been communicated".
Even though the film has been screened at various places in the State, including schools, Kochi is yet to have a screening till date. His official commitments as a programme executive at All India Radio, Chitradurga, and his work on a 40-episode programme on Kannadiga tribal folk music, Mr. Balan is hard-pressed for time.
"I want the screening to be a venue for people who are concerned about the contemporary developments. There should be a meaningful discussion on issues such as the Pathrakadavu hydel project or the suicides of farmers, and not just a film screening. That, it should reiterated, is the message of the film." During his short visits to the city, Mr. Balan has been talking to people interested in organising a screening of the film. The date could be finalised soon, he hoped.
By Anand Haridas
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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