‘Environmental cinema is a real reflection of how we interact with the wider ecosystem’

Shikha Duggal

One of India’s only quirky film festivals is going to be held soon whose primary focus is Environment. The ‘All Things Environment Film Festival’ is challenging the country to start an important discussion on environmental conservation.The founder of the festival, Kunal Khanna strongly feels that even filmmakers of today should adopt the portrayal of green solutions at times.

To know his counterargument via this film festival for the buoy up for this country in his own way, we rang him up and he said, “The foundation of any change is awareness. Film festivals like these will build consciousness by providing new perspectives into subjects one rarely comes across. My curation, with a particular emphasis on independent cinema, provides first hand insight into what’s happening all over the world in the realm of the climate crisis in both candid and creative manner!  These stories hold the potential to shift perceptions, which inturn can and will lead to action.”

Climate change and nature seems really close to him, we wondered why? He enlightens us, “There is no medium as powerful as a film. Take a moment and think about a film that really influenced you and the way you look at the world! Do it. Stop reading and start thinking. You will have no difficulty in coming up with one or maybe multiple. Now think about a static article—a painting or a scientific paper. Sure, you will come up with some but not nearly as quickly as a film. For this reason, we want to broadcast and encourage the topic of the environment being covered in this medium.

The environmental crisis is the most pressing issue of our time. So what better way is there to bring awareness than a festival of the most powerful medium, on the most important theme for us as a species? Scientists are warning that record-breaking ice melt is part of a worrying trend and the clearest sign yet that society needs to act to tackle climate change. Climate change is everyone’s business, period.”

Boasting of an impressive collection of 55 films to be screened, Kunal ensured they are engaging in nature, rather than preachy for the spectators to watch but he raises a point. He told us, “Cinema, by nature, is not interactive. It is subversive and often introspective. Our audience should expect to be moved by these films.They should encounter novel perspectives, eye opening realities and stories of innovation, hope and revolution. The responsibility of creating the ripple effect from these films belongs to all of us. It is my hope that these stories become interactive through conversations around dinner tables, in classrooms and amongst friends.This year, we received over 200 film submissions from across the globe and our final program comprises 55 films, 33 of which are India premieres.This is our largest and most diverse program yet.

Themes include conservation, indigenous wisdom, activism, urbanisation, capitalism, forests and oceans, climate change, sustainable living, food politics, biodiversity and so much more.”And what about the thoughts that he wants to provoke? He cleared, “We are bringing inspiring stories that provide unique insight into people and places around the globe, and creating a space for the audience to interact and talk about climate change and the many facets of the environmental emergency in our collective hands. Our approach highlights the myriad actions and initiatives that are tackling this challenge. Rather than inducing fear, our films focus on hope, solutions, calls to actions, and opportunities to engage as change makers.”

An unknown fact: the festival’s illustrious jury also includes Kiran Rao. How did he convince them? So intrigued to know! He replied, “Every jury member that came on board was at the top of our list. The conversations were similar across the board, and well received in every case. These two women also recognised the importance of sustainability! The experts we bring in are well informed, highly experienced and bring a wealth of insight in the art of filmmaking. Talking about Kiran’s willingness to donate dozens of hours of their precious time speaks to the implied importance of the environmental issue at this time along with others.”

Making a point at the last, the founder implied, “There is no doubt that people want to be entertained, and this is exactly why film holds the incredible power to engage and mobilise people towards action. Environmental cinema is a real reflection of how we humans interact with the wider ecosystem. It’s an insight into the juxtaposition between nature and the dominant systems of convenience and extraction that we have created for ourselves. Impact cinema communicates these critical messages in a way that is entertaining and engaging, almost tricking audiences into reflection.”