Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal

Last updated

Birds With Large Wings
Birds With Large Wings.jpg
Directed by Dr. Biju
Written byDr. Biju
Produced byDr. A.K. Pillai
Starring Kunchacko Boban
Nedumudi Venu
Suraj Venjaramoodu
Salim Kumar
Prakash Bare
James Bradford
Thampi Antony
Krishnan Balakrishnan
Sajeev Pillai
Krishnaprasad
Jayakrishnan
Dr. Muhammed Asheel
Anumol
Patricia Leduc
Pretti Johnson
Master Govardhan
Cinematography M. J. Radhakrishnan
Edited byKarthik Jogesh
Release date
  • November 2015 (2015-11)
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam /English /French
Budget 4 crore (US $600,000)

Valiya Chirakula Pakshikal (English: Birds with Large Wings) is a 2015 Indian Malayalam drama film written and directed by Dr. Biju and produced by Dr. A.K. Pillai. It is based on an incident in a small village in Kasaragod in the state of Kerala where thousands of people were infected with fatal diseases due to the effects of endosulfan, a pesticide used to protect cashewnut trees.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The film was shot in Kerala and Canada, and was released in India in December 2015.

Plot

The film is a partly fictional representation of the environmental disaster caused by the use of the pesticide endosulfan in the Kasaragod District of Kerala, India. This disaster was caused by nearly two and a half decades of endosulfan use on government-owned cashew plantations. [1] The film explores the disastrous environmental and public health consequences of the use of the pesticide and the health-related effects that persist to this day.

The film depicts the after-effects of pesticide spraying through the eyes of a photographer. His first visit to the area was during a rainy season in 2001, and his photographs revealed the shocking state of the numerous victims. Endosulfan-induced misery gained worldwide attention as a result of these photographs.[ citation needed ] By the time the photographer visited the area again in the summer of 2006, many of the young victims he had photographed during his earlier visit had died. Even now, children are being affected with strange and debilitating diseases.Cd In 2011, the Stockholm Summit of UN on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) recommended a total ban on endosulfan. India was the only country that opposed this decision. [2] A year later, in 2012, the photographer returned to Kasaragod and found that the plight of these victims persisted, and that the survivors continued to suffer.

Realities

The main character is based on Madhuraj, a Mathrubhumi press photojournalist whose 2001 exposé shed light on the environmental damage that resulted from the use of endosulfan.[ citation needed ] To maintain authenticity, and to depict events accurately, Dr. Biju [3] consulted Madhuraj and other activists associated with the Kasaragod issue. It took nearly a year for the director to conduct this research. In a bid to give a voice to those affected by this man-made, environmental crisis, the characters that appear in the film are played by real-life victims.

Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal's viewpoint is that a grave injustice has been perpetrated on a people by its government. It relates the story of twenty-five years of what is described as blatant disregard for the well-being of a community, and of sacrificing lives in the pursuit of greed. In spite of overwhelming evidence, the filmmaker maintains that the Indian government has not completely stopped the usage of endosulfan, nor have victims been provided access to proper treatment, or given due compensation. Although the United Nations has banned endosulfan, [4] the decision to ban this pesticide in Kasaragod fell to the Supreme Court of India. [5]

On his decision to take the lead role, actor Kunchacko Boban stated, "It was such a sensitive script, to which no actor could have said no. The shoot was a moving experience, and for the first time, I cried without glycerine on the sets. What we have read or seen about the ordeal of Endosulfan victims [6] is nothing when you meet them face to face and hear them out. It was too traumatic and emotional. Never did I undergo such trauma while shooting."[ citation needed ]

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Dr. A.K. Pillai, under the Maya Movies production house banner. Pillai is a practicing pediatrician currently living in Florida, USA. Pillai obtained postgraduate degrees from the UK and the USA, and worked for the US Government for few years before starting his own private practice. His passion for making realistic and meaningful movies led to him joining forces with contemporary artistic filmmaker Dr. Biju. The film is co-produced by Padma Pillai.

Filming

The shooting schedule lasted a year in Kasaragod and Canada, in order to capture the nuances of the four seasons. The first scheduled shoot began in June 2014, in Kasaragod, to capture the monsoon. A number of children who were the actual victims of the pesticide appeared in the film at this time.

The second shoot was completed in the spring at Kasaragod, in September 2014. During the shooting, people continued to strike, demanding justice from the Government for the endosulfan victims. [6] Protests were also recreated with major participation from the areas' mothers and children.

The third shoot was completed in Ottawa, Canada, during the winter in December 2014. CanEast films (Biju George and Satheesh Gopalan) in Ottawa, Canada, coordinated the Canadian part of shoot. The Ottawa Film Office, extended support for the production crew. Nearly 100 local actors were called upon to recreat the UN conference on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including actor James Bradford, who played the role of a French environmental scientist. The film crew struggled to shoot most of the outdoor sequences in wintry conditions and -20 °C weather. Despite the harsh climate, shooting was wrapped in less than two weeks due to the overwhelming support from CanEast Films, the local crew and the Ottawa Film Office.

The fourth shoot took place in Kasaragod to capture the summer in February and March 2015.

Release

The world premiere of the film is planned for September/October 2015 at a major film festival outside India. The Indian and Kerala release was released on 4 December 2015. [8]

Festivals/Awards/Nominations

Event/YearCategoryResult
63rd National Film Awards 2015 (India) National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation Won
Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Australia, November 2015 Asia Pacific Screen Awards Official Competition
United Nations, Geneva, November 2015 United Nations Environment Programme Special Screening
World Humanitarian event, Jakarta, September 2015World Humanitarian AwardWon
International film festival of India, November 2015Indian Panorama / UNESCO, Fellini AwardNominated
Kolkata International Film Festival, India, November, 2015 Indian Cinema Official Selection
International Film Festival of Kerala, India, November 2015New Malayalam CinemaOfficial Selection
All Lights India International Film Festival, Kerala, India, November 2015Indian FilmsOfficial selection
Pune International Film Festival, Pune, India, January 2016Indian CinemaOfficial selection
New York Indian Film Festival, New York, USA, May 2016CompetitionOfficial selection
International Film Festival of South Asia, Toronto, Canada, May 2016Indian CinemaOfficial selection
Queensland Indian International Film Festival, Brisbane, Australia 2016Best FilmWon
Queensland Indian International Film Festival, Brisbane, Australia 2016Best DirectorWon
Queensland Indian International Film Festival, Brisbane, Australia 2016Best ActorWon
Queensland Indian International Film Festival, Brisbane, Australia 2016Best CinematographyWon
Queensland Indian International Film Festival, Brisbane, Australia 2016Best ScreenplayWon
Hanoi International Film Festival, Vietnam 2016International CompetitionNominated
Habitat International Film Festival, New Delhi, May 2016Indian filmOfficial Selection
People and Environmental film festival, Baikal International Film Festival, Irkutsk, Russia, October 2018International CompetitionNominated
Bridge Of Arts International Film Festival, Rostov, Russia, October 2018Jury FilmsOfficial selection

Post film activities for the victims

After the completion of film shoot, the film crew continued their activities for supporting the Endosulfan victims. [9] The local people and activists started a charitable organization called SNEHAM for the support of victims, with support from the crew. Actor Kunchacko Boban, along with SNEHAM volunteers, participated in the popular television program Kodeeswaran to raise money for the organization. In addition, the producer, director, and technical crew are continuing to support the cause, and aim to build a rehabilitation village to support and care for victims.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endosulfan</span> Chemical compound

Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globally. It became a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor. Because of its threats to human health and the environment, a global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan was negotiated under the Stockholm Convention in April 2011. The ban took effect in mid-2012, with certain uses exempted for five additional years. More than 80 countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, several West African nations, the United States, Brazil, and Canada had already banned it or announced phase-outs by the time the Stockholm Convention ban was agreed upon. It is still used extensively in India and China despite laws against its use. It is also used in a few other countries. It is produced by the Israeli firm Makhteshim Agan and several manufacturers in India and China. On 13.05.2011, the India Supreme Court ordered a ban on the production and sale of endosulfan in India, pending further notice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunchacko Boban</span> Indian actor and film producer

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References

  1. "Endosulfan destroyed biodiversity of Kasaragod villages". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  2. "India resists efforts to ban pesticide". The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  3. "Ace Malayalam director is making a movie based on the Endosulfan tragedy". 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  4. "United Nations targets widely-used pesticide endosulfan for phase out".
  5. "Allow use of endosulfan except in Kerala and Karnataka". 27 July 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2016 via The Hindu.
  6. 1 2 "Shedding more light on endosulfan victims". The Hindu .
  7. "Kunchacko Boban will turn photojournalist for Dr.Biju". The Times of India .
  8. "Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal review roundup: Kunchacko Boban's must-watch film". International Business Times, India Edition. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  9. "Dr. Biju's 'Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal' is about Endosulphan victims". Archived from the original on 18 June 2014.