Siraj Syed’s IFFI 2016 diary, IX, Open Forum V: “We need more Amitabh Bachchans to help reduce global warming”

In its second Open Forum at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2016, Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA) sounded an urgent warning about the spreading carbon footprint and discussed steps to curb/neutralise its deleterious effect, especially among the film fraternity. Mike Pandey, President of IDPA and world-renowned environment-awareness film-maker, was the moderator. On the panel were Senthil Rajan, Director DFF (who joined in at the fag end), and Arvind Ranade, of Vigyan Prasar (‘Science Communication’), Dept. of Science and Technology. Lygia Matthews, Executive Committee member of IDPA, conducted the proceedings.

Pandey reminded us that the carbon--and even more dangerously, the 20% more hazardous methane--footprints are spreading like wildfire across the globe, and India is among the highest generators, perhaps a corollary to rapid industrialisation, and a direct result of indiscriminate mining and tree-felling. Luckily, technology has helped reduce the dependence on pollutant light sources for film-making, he enthused. “Just a few days ago, I was shown a camera in London, which captured images without any light whatsoever, and I could still see through it objects in pitch darkness that I could not even see through my naked eyes!”

(Sony’s A7S II records in near pitch darkness, on 4k without any additional gear. Canon’s ME20F-SH camera can take full-colour shots in near-total darkness, maximum ISO in excess of 4 million (+75dB), delivering high quality professional grade Full HD footage).

Talking about Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF)’s contributions to the cause, Senthil mentioned the annual national award for the best film on environment, and the package of Swachh Bharat (Clean India) films at IFFI Goa 2016. On Pandey’s initiative to make IFFI a carbon-free festival, Senthil assured him that he would initiate steps towards this goal. Arvind stressed the need of some kinds of incentives to encourage film-makers to give due consideration to the environment while making their films, taking advantage of science and technology. Workshops could be an effective way of bringing this about, he believed.

Adding a touch of urgency to global issue, Pandey averred, “Goa (venue for IFFI 2016) is a great place for any type of location-shooting, with its stunning forests, villages and heritage buildings. But we must realise that it is home to hundreds of unique species and also a fortress against earth warming. The eco-system just has to be protected. In fact, if not checked, climate change could submerge some of our cities, suffering the same fate as the doomed cities of Dwarka and Atlantis. Believe it or not, even Mumbai could end up under 30 m. of water!”

Matthews cautioned against the large scale damage caused by the Rs. 100 crore (1 billion) film club, “Almost always, the bigger the budget, the higher the damage to the environment. Our films are a long way off from becoming carbon neutral.” (An average Indian film produces a carbon footprint of around 100 tons. Last year, Biswajeet Bora's Aisa Yeh Jahaan/Such is this World became India's first full-length Hindi feature film to be carbon-neutral. Its carbon footprint was mapped, and was offset by a tree-plantation drive. The final carbon footprint for pre-production, production and post-production was 78.477 tons of CO₂ e--carbon dioxide equivalent). To neutralise this effect, 560 saplings were planted in Mumbai).

Commending superstar Amitabh Bachchan for joining the movement to reduce use of non-essential vehicles and air-conditioning during film shootings, Pandey hoped that other eminent film personalities would follow suit.

In response to proposals from this writer, both Pandey and  Rajan agreed that holding a competitive Environment Film Festival to co-incide with World Environment Day, and to screen the award-winning films at IFFI, were very good ideas, and would be duly considered. They also welcomed a suggestion that, just as films have to display a mandatory declaration about not having harmed animals during shooting, they should also be audited for environment harm. Industry standards should be defined, all agreed.