KANAVU: NURTURING THE DREAMS OF STORYTELLERS

Bringing stories from the hinterlands are Kannavu fellowship graduates whose works were screened this weekend

- CHANDHINI R, DIYA MARIA GEORGE

MURUGESWARI was on a quest to portray the lives of the indigenous people in the Western Ghats. Through Thedum Theneekkal her camera voiced their daily life and the struggles they faced while honey-hunting. Lavanya K focused her lens on J Ali Basha who has been giving free food and education to the underprivileged and poor students in Tiruvottiyur for 30 years. Zenithian, was an ode to his teaching career that groomed a lot of children in Chennai. Kaivannam introduces the audience to wildlife art and the works of artists from Murungapakkam village in Puducherry. Pushpanjali Sivakumar presented the need for wildlife conservation and the upliftment of artists through the film. For Sowndarya Magesh, the life of Suganthi, a sea worker and certified shell-crafting trainer from Rameshwaram inspired Si(r) ppikul Muthu.

Though the narratives are different in each documentary, the everyday fight for survival was a common thread that passed through the films taken by the Kanavu fellowship group that was screened at 'The Women's Month Film Screening' organised by Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB) in collaboration with Thinnai Talkies at Svah, Besant Nagar, over the weekend. Aimed at celebrating women behind the lens and accelerating dialogues around the gender gap, the theme of the twoday event was autonomy.

"March is the month of Women's Day. We at CPB dedicate the whole month to women photographers and cinematographers. Combining a set of activities, workshops, and panel discussions, this year's programme provides a deep insight into photography and life as a photographer. The most important celebration is the graduation of the storytellers who had received the Kanavu fellowship. Screening their documentaries, their training comes to an end. Now they are ready to enter into the professional field of photography," shared Priya Banik, programme manager.