Their extensive travels saw them meet bereaved family after family recount the pain and despondency that drove the farmer to the extreme step.
Children Of The Soil, a short film on farmers caught in the crop failure-debt trap who have killed themselves has used a unique way to “sensitise urban India to the agrarian crisis sweeping across the country.” Made by the internationally acclaimed Indian filmmaker duo Ranadeep Bhattacharyya and Judhajit Bagchi - whose corporate and marketing films have won the Stevie Award) and Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards for two years consecutively - the three-and-a-half minuter has been shot entirely using mud sculptures made with soil from fields of farmers who have committed suicide.
(Ranadeep Bahttacharyya & Judhajit Bagchi)
Explaining the reaChildren, Bagchi points out: “While its powerful to use sound bytes/close-ups it still doesn't drive home the holisticity of the biggest crisis independent India is staring at. It is still being seen and addressed sporadically without getting into circumstances allowing it to thrive.” Fellow filmmaker Bhattacharyya admits remembers the heated arguments while conceiving the execution. “We'd been approached to make an ad film about farmers. While researching we found what farmers were being put through and decided to make it ourselves.” According to him, the mainstream has created a romanticised notion of agriculture which urban India has taken for real. “This is a convenient invisiblising of ugly exploitation.”
Their extensive travels saw them meet bereaved family after family recount the pain and despondency that drove the farmer to the extreme step. “As we picked fistfuls of soil from their fields we sensed how many dots joined in the stories.”
A chance meeting with lyricist-poet Gulzar saab led him to pen a poem (SEE IN THE END) which narrated by theatreperChildren Ila Arun in the end. This is the only voice in the film which has music by Debojyoti Mishra. Mahaan Jyoti Dutta and his team created the sculptures using well-known models/actors like Karan Veer Mehra, Jitin Gulati, Vipin Sharma as models.
(Still from Childrens Of The Soil)
Space and logistical requirements saw the filmmaker duo choose a closed down Goregaon mill for shooting They were both all praise for cinematographer Sylvester Fonseca who has ensured the film maintains its emotional mood through lighting and frames. “We want the sculpture preserved and displayed.” While indicating that they want to send the film to festivals, the duo insists that they want to collaborate with NGOs working with farmer communities and take the film to them to help in advocacy of farm rights.
GULZAR SAAB'S POEM
Hamare geele-sookhe ki kahaani,
Bahut badi hai
Aur uspar soodh ki aur mool ki
Ek aur kadi hai
Boond boond woh mangta hai toh
Daana daana baantata hai!
Kitnee sewa karta hai kisan hamara
Uspar bhuka marta hai kisan hamara
Jaha par jaan boyee thhi,
Wahaan se fasal toh kati
Kisan ne khudkushi karli,
Zameen behosh pari hai
Hamare geele-sookhe ki kahaani, bahut badi hai!
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