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Deconstructing Disasters
A travelling film festival in south India .
Introduction:
indiadisasters.org, the humanitarian website, is planning to organise a film festival in October 2005 with a focus on natural disasters and their response in India. The traveling festival called "Deconstructing Disasters" will feature about 10 films.
The festival will feature stories of people coping with disasters even after their lives are torn apart. It will address the personalities, politics and ecology of disasters. And it will show humanitarian agencies' response to disasters and probe their efficacy and the challenges they face. In short, the focus will be on disaster preparedness, rehabilitation, rights and standards.
Aim:
To increase public awareness on natural disasters and rehabilitation, focusing on aspects of preparedness, rights and standards.
Organiser:
indiadisasters.org
Activities:
As a primary activity, films will be selected and there will be screenings in collaboration with select partners in and around Chennai, Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram. The screenings will be followed by discussions, depending on the viewer profile.
As a follow-up, if resources and partners are available, there is a possibility of taking the festival to other cities and including related events like a photo exhibition and book sale.
1. Selection: Selection of about 10 highly communicative films on disasters in India brought out in the past five years. Entries will be invited through online documentary, media and humanitarian forums.
2. Partnerships: Collaborating with regional television channels, film clubs, humanitarian groups, community-based organisations and educational institutions for screening as well as publicity for the festival - including telecast of some of the festival films and related footage.
3. Publicity: Printing of common posters and brochures and city- specific schedule sheets
4. Screening: Showing about 10 festival films in and around three south Indian cities - Chennai, Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram, followed by discussions in select places
5. Documentation: Digital filming of the film festival process, with special focus on the response to the films and discussions in villages and rehabilitation camps.
Expected results:
1. The viewers of the festival films and television programmes will have a basic understanding of how disasters disrupt lives and livelihoods, and how people try to cope despite all odds.
2. There will be an understanding of the relationship between planning, development and disaster vulnerability.
3. There will be an initial exposure to some of the best community-based disaster preparedness and response initiatives from different parts of India
4. There will be an appreciation of different problems such as psychosocial complication and disabilities, and special needs of women children in the event of a disaster.
5. An added media interest in aspects of rehabilitation at a time when reporting on the issue is becoming less and less. It can be an opportunity to flag off certain key issues that can be followed up during the first anniversary coverage.
6. Better visibility for the indiadisasters.org website.
Potential partners:
Kairali television, Coastal Action Network (Tamil Nadu), Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation, Loyola College, Chennai, Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari Rehabilitation Resource Centre
Contact:
Coordinator, Deconstructing Disasters
Email: docufest2005@...
Mobile : +91 98472 84898
Website: www.indiadisasters.org
For media queries:
Bangalore: Dr P V Unnikrishnan (Advisor, indiadisasters.org: +91 98450 91319)
Chennai: Satya Sivaraman (Editor, Regional, indiadisasters.org:+91 98402 82680)
Thiruvananthapuram/ Kanyakumari: L Ajith (Coordinator, Deconstructing Disasters: +91 98472 84898)
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