Day1   Day2   Day3   Day4

Day 2: 26 September 2008

- Clara Presler, America India Foundation

The second day of the Development Film Festival captured much of the same energy and excitement of the opening night. The subject matter was quite different, but it was impressive to see the audience respond with equal engagement and enthusiasm.

The first film, “Thai Poosam”, followed the traditions surrounding the daily rituals of the 10-day festival. The main focus was the pilgrims’ journey to Palani, in which individuals express their faith in a wide range of ways. The film showed the physical strain of the journey on the travelers’ feet and, alarmingly, the passing of iron through the some worshippers’ cheeks. In these physical feats, the longevity of the traditions was apparent in the skill with which the blisters were treated and the rods removed without any blood in sight. The film also outlined the rituals in the temples, such as pouring curd, ghee, and sandal paste on idols, and also the personal rituals that individuals choose to show their devotion—the shaving of heads or sacrifice of animals. What was most striking about the film was the community aspect of the festival: the mass pilgrimage, the communal meals, and the collective adoration of an elderly Guru.

The second film, “Chedi”, entered another realm of society: the problematic use of child labor. This was not a documentary; rather, a dramatization of a very probable story of poverty: a single man feels trapped and begins to use his 7-year-old daughter as a source of income through her acrobatic skill. When she takes a giant fall and almost loses her life, he is wracked with guilt. The attending doctor has a stern talk with the father, and explains that what he has chosen to do was a punishable offense. The movie was provocative in that it outlined how someone could feel trapped into making the decisions this man did; problematized child labor and low rates of education for girls; and suggested that the passing of laws could lead to positive behavior change.

The final film, “Enduring Traditions”, was a special screening of a DHAN Foundation project and returned to a focus on local traditions of a village called Athangudi. It is the center of floor tile production in the area, locally available fine sand and deft skill combine to make colorful patterned tile that tempts the viewer to go see the production process in person. Dating back to 1928, the practice involves many complicated steps, from adjusting the glass mold, to achieving level placement for a smooth floor. The refining of the techniques over the last 100 years is apparent in the speed and care with which the craftsmen work. The combination of artistic tradition with a source of livelihoods—some 400 families in Athangudi rely on the production of the tiles for income—contributed to a sense of urgency in the film. By outlining this craft and discussing its current status, the film implicitly reflected on the sometimes forgotten effects of geographic mobility and modern mass production: the support base of locally crafted art is eroded. Conscious attention to the art is required to keep it alive, exactly what this film aims to provide.

During the interactive session, the director of the film “Thai Poosam” shared that the film was a product that was requested by the Malaysian Government where more than 50 percent of the population are Tamilians. Mr. Annamalai, Chief Editor of The Hindu, asked why the film showed only the festival of Palani and not the other five abodes of Lord Murugan. The director replied that he did the homework of visiting all the six abodes of Lord Muragan and only in Palani is the festival alive for the entire 10 days. Additionally, Palani is where the majority of the pilgrims choose as a destination for the Thai Poosam day.