Apr 07 2024 to Apr 07 2024 7 p.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

17 mins | Malayalam and Jasari with English subtitles | Lakshadweep, India | 2024 Direction, Cinematography: Anand Rama Krishnan Creative Team: Rohan Arthur, Suri Venkatachalam, Somesh Menon, Kevin George Editing: Rohan Ullattil, Anand Rama Krishnan Sound Design: Siddharth Sadashiv This is the inaugural screening of Choora, the first in the ‘Ways of Life’ documentary series, from the Lakshadweep Archipelago. Choora spends a day with tuna fishers from Agatti Island, illuminating how tuna fishing epitomises the rich tapestry of tradition and sustenance that characterises life in the archipelago. Through sustainable ‘Pole and Line’ fishing practices, the fishers of Lakshadweep navigate various challenges, balancing their livelihoods with responsible stewardship of marine resources. Each fishing expedition unfolds as a poignant narrative of resilience, camaraderie, and the enduring beauty of island life. And Choora offers its audience an opportunity to immerse themselves in the daily lives of these remarkable individuals. Choora is a collaborative venture between Nature Conservation Foundation and the filmmaker Anand Rama Krishnan. NCF has worked in the Lakshadweep Archipelago for over a quarter century, to understand how the forces of climate change, changes in resource use, developmental pressures and urbanisation are together influencing the habitability of these low-lying atoll islands, and the survival of its people. In the face of these existential transformations, NCF’s approach is to celebrate and promote local traditions and cultures that may offer the best hope for securing the ecological and societal future of the islands. Choora is the first of these attempts at documenting Lakshadweep ways of life. After a highly successful inauguration in Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, this is the Bangalore premiere of the film. The screening will be followed by a brief discussion with Dr. Harini Nagendra and Suri Venkatachalam in conversation with the Director, Anand Rama Krishnan & Rohan Arthur. A Q&A with the audience will follow. Presented by: Supported by: Speakers Rohan Arthur Marine Biologist Rohan Arthur is a marine biologist who works primarily in the oceanic islands in the Indian Ocean. He is the co-founder of the Nature Conservation Foundation, a research and conservation non-profit based in India. Since 1996, NCF has worked in a range of geographies across India, exploring novel and non-essentialist ways of doing conservation, favouring ideas over ideology, and committed to a joint flourishing of humans and nature. Rohan’s work focuses largely on the Lakshadweep Archipelago, and the issues of climate change, coral reef ecology and local human use in Lakshadweep. In addition, his team works on a range of interdisciplinary studies in the Andaman Islands and along the west coast of India. Find out more about NCF at www.ncf-india.org Harini Nagendra Author & Ecologist Harini Nagendra is a Professor at Azim Premji University, where she leads the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability. Her research focuses on social-ecological transformations in South Asia. Prof. Nagendra received a 2013 Elinor Ostrom Senior Scholar award for her research and practice on urban commons. Her 2016 book “Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present, and Future” examines the implications of environmental change for cities of the global South. Her latest book, “The Bangalore Detectives Club” is a historical detective novel based in 1920s colonial Bangalore. Suri Venkatachalam Entrepreneur & Co-Founder, Achira Labs Suri Venkatachalam was the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Connexios Life Sciences, a drug discovery and development company, until his transition in 2016. He has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, a PhD in condensed matter physics, and has conducted post-doctoral research in computational neuroscience and ecology. Suri is an entrepreneur and a co-founder of Achira Labs, a Bengaluru based start-up working on molecular diagnostic applications. Suri is also an Adjunct Faculty at Nature Conservation Foundation, India, and an Advisor to the Snow Leopard Trust. He is deeply interested in environmental history and its intersection with world history. His current research projects include a photo-documentation of nature in Indian cities, and research on the history of the Lakshadweep archipelago. Anand Rama Krishnan Filmmaker Anand Rama Krishnan is a filmmaker who firmly believes in the power of visual stories to deepen our understanding and empathy for the world around us. His long-held interest in creating visual art through technology inspired him to transition from engineering to photography and pursued him to gain a postgraduation from the Light and Life Academy in the Nilgiris. Specializing in Travel, Underwater, Fine-Art, Portraiture, Product, and Architecture & Interior photography, he has worked on projects for major corporations like Google, Microsoft, and Bosch. Anand’s journey includes roles in design consultancy, co-founding a filmmaking company, and collaborating with NGOs. As a self-taught filmmaker, he has contributed to multiple films in various capacities.