Out of the Gate, Part 2

Out of the Gate, part 1

In search of where the vendors who were selling sweets to the children through the bars of the iron fence were coming from, I went out of the gates of IGNCA Lawns and started following one of the men as he pushed his cart up the street.  A block away, we reached the corner of a wide, dusty road.

Sellers of ice cream, nuts, bracelets, and breads were lined all the way up...

and down the street.

Many of the young men called to me asking where I came from.  A young man selling ice cream with his father.  A couple of friends.  One young man offering tea, and another with a basket of crisps.

How many stories they must have!  If only there was time time to sit down over tea and listen...

Outside

One of the highlights of CMS VATAVARAN Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum (WEBSITE) on Friday was the attendance of Bollywood star and politician Shabana Azmi who was here to promote "Kalpvriksh" (WEBSITE) a film about deforestation in which she appears.  When she arrived, school children who were attending the festival as part of class trips crowded around Ms. Azmi clamoring for her autograph and the chance to see up close and personal a real life movie star.

The children settled down at the Young Champions Lawn, one of the six venues at CMS VATAVARAN, and Ms. Azmi sat among them to watch her film.

The IGNCA Lawns, where CMS VATAVARAN takes place, are a gorgeous 27-acres of paradise right in the middle of New Delhi.  Surrounded by iron fences and guarded by security personnel, the Young Champions Lawn, specifically programmed for children, is the only one of the six venues that lies next to the outside perimeter of the Lawns. As such, it offers a unique business opportunity to the street vendors that roam around outside the iron fence: peddlers of ice cream, chocolate and other treats park their carts against the fence and call to the children as they watch the films.  Reaching their hands though the bars, the vendors take the children's money in exchange for sweets.

Although the screenings at CMS VATAVARAN are free, not everyone has the opportunity to attend.  For members of the public to enter, registration through the internet is necessary, and only children enrolled in school can visit through official school trips.  

When one of the street children outside heard the sounds of Bollywood film star Shabana Azmi's film playing, he lifted the black veil covering the iron fence and began to watch the film through the bars.

I went back to the front of the seating area to take a picture of the school children, and in just the few moments it took me to get there, the crowd of street children and vendors watching the film through the bars had grown.

For the last two days, the festival organizers have arranged for me to be chauffeured between between my hotel (which is protected by machine-gun-totting guards and metal detectors) and the festival venue (which is also protected by guards).  Every single meal I have eaten has been provided either by the hotel or the festival caterers, and while I am grateful, it has also meant that I haven't actually seen anything or met anyone outside of the festival.

I will walk past the machine-guns and venture out...

Open Plan

Today I was honoured to be on a panel discussing "How to Pitch in International and Domestic Markets" along with wildlife cinematographer Nalla Mutthu and filmmaker Sanjay Bernala (INFO).  We discussed finding an audience for "issue-based" films, financing documentaries and a growing number of people who believe content should be free and internet-based (think YouTube).  The challenges filmmakers all over the world face know no borders.

The 7th CMS VATAVARAN Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum has taken over all of the 27 acres of Ignca Lawns in New Delhi.  Of all the film festivals I have been to over the past year, the screening venues here are the most gorgeous. And there aren't even any walls.

The Media Hub

The Travel Desk

The Speaker Lounge

Booths featuring organic, natural and handmade goods

Breathtaking

The CMS Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival in New Delhi in one word: BREATHTAKING.

Walking through the gate of Ignca Lawns it is hard to believe that a green paradise like this exists right in the centre of India's Capital.  The events at CMS Vatavaran, which is in its 7th year, are split into 6 different themes (INFO) that take place in separate areas of the 27-acre Ignca Lawns.

Environmentally-themed films, photo exhibitions and events amid such natural beauty is truly inspiring.

 

The opening ceremony was held this evening on the Grand Stage, and some of the festival's major award recipients were honoured.  Documentary filmmaker Vijaya Mulay was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented by Dr. Karan Singh, the president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.  During her acceptance speech, the 92-year-old denied that her work was worthy of such recognition.  She then reminded the audience, "it is not only important to watch these films (about environmental issues) but to act upon them."

In his key note address, Dr. Mula reflected on the recently increasing number of environmentally-themed films.  "Awareness has become so prevalent," he warned, "because our behaviour has become so destructive."

Following the opening ceremony the party began as the crowd was treated to a performance by a traditional bamboo band and local delicacies were served in the food court.

Namaste

The fourth leg of the World Tour of 'A2-B-C' is about to begin: I am flying to India in the morning to attend the 7th annual CMS VATAVARAN Environment and Wildlife Film Festival in New Delhi where  'A2-B-C' (WEBSITE) is screening twice on Sunday (INFO) and is nominated for an award in the Environmental Conservation International Category.

Coming back home to Japan for about long enough to do laundry, I will then be off to Texas for the Thin Line Film and Music Festival, where 'A2-B-C' is screening on Valentine's Day (INFO).

After visiting some family in the US, I will then be popping over to Taiwan where 'A2-B-C' will be screening on February 28 and March 1 (details posted HERE soon).

From there I will be heading to Germany where I have been invited to screen 'A2-B-C' during a German-Japanese-Belorussian symposium about the consequences of the nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima (March 4-7).

And then the 3rd anniversary of the March 11, 2011, disaster will be upon us.

Thank you all so very much for your support and encouragement during what has been a most humbling and life-changing period.

Friendship

2014 has only just begun, but I already have so many things for which to be grateful, beginning with good friends, a warm place to stay and healthy food to eat.

And it looks like the adventure on which my film 'A2-B-C' brought me in 2013 (INFO) is not quite over yet!  I am extremely honoured to announce two more screenings in upcoming international festivals.

At the end of this month, 'A2-B-C' will be screening in India's CMS Vatavaran Environment and Film Festival Forum (INFO).  'A2-B-C' has been in many "themed" film festivals (Japanese, ethnographic, peace, human rights), but this will be the first time for one of my films to be in an environmentally-themed festival.  I am so grateful for these amazing experiences (and I am very much looking forward to visiting India for the first time!).

Then in February, 'A2-B-C' will screen in the Thin Line Film and Music Festival (INFO).  This will be the first time for me to attend a combined film and musical festival and to visit Texas, the state motto of which is "friendship".  Awesome.

As we stumble