Valyiya Chirakulla Pakshikal. Birds with large wings

Description

The film is a partly fictionalized presentation of the great tragedy occurred in Ksaragod District of Kerala in India, consequent on the aerial spraying of endosulfan, a highly toxic pesticide on cashew plantations owned by the Plantation Corporation or Kerala govt. The spraying affected the people as well as the environment continually for two and a half decades. This produced disastrous effects in the health of the people especially children, being born with birth defects. The land, the water the flora and fauna had turned toxic and continue to affect human health even today, after discontinuing this spraying for the past two decades.The film depicts the aftereffects of the pesticide spraying through the eyes of a photographer. His first visit to the area was in a rainy season during 2001. His photographs revealed to the world, the shocking and pathetic state of numerous victims. Endosulfan induced misery gained worldwide attention through this exposure. The photographer visited the area again in summer 2006. In the meanwhile, many of the young victims he had photographed during his earlier visit were dead. Even now children are being affected with strange and debilitating diseases. In 2011, the Stockholm Summit of UN on Persistent Organic Pollutants recommended a total ban on endosulfan. India was the only country that defended this movement. A year later, in 2012, the photographer returns to Kasaragod. He realizes that apathy and indifference to the plight of these unfortunate victims still continue and the survivors continue to suffer.

Runtime

113 minutes

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Database

Alexander Street

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