Invisible Demons

 

I have often wondered - if global warming and climate change is really a ticking time-bomb, why does it not bother most of us?

A part the answer to this question was found in an event I attended last week at the Max Muller Bhavan in New Delhi. 

MMB is the German cultural centre in the heart of of the city. In the pre-internet days it used to be considered a cool hangout for its cafe, library and cultural events. This particular event was in two parts - screening ofa documentary titled, "Invisible Demons" directed by Rahul Jain, followed by a panel discussion on Art, Activism and Climate Change. 

This is essentially about environmental pollution in north India, especially Delhi. The film starts in an arty format with a guy slowly fogging a DDA park in Delhi. This set the tone for the rest of the documentary - long lingering shots of the worst sights in the city: drains emptying into the Yamuna, turning its waters black and foamy; mountains of garbage dotted with rag-picking children; destitute families living on the streets of Delhi; endless traffic jams interspersed with shots of fishes packed in tanks and cattle crowded in pens; patients wheezing into a nebuliser and an endoscopic view of blackened lungs.

The film is meant to evoke disgust, and it does so quite effectively. The director too was glad to tell us that at every pre-screening event, the audience rushed to open the windows to let in some fresh air. The only hint of optimism in the the whole documentary is footage of an un-named young man showing the little forests he had created on the Yamuna floodplains. He is the well known Miyawaki forester, Shubhendu Sharma, but for 'artistic reasons' he remains un-named in the film.

I have seen plenty of poverty-porn coming from media houses sponsored by Western entities - the ones that find great delight in highlighting the worst from developing countries, without offering any viable solutions. This must be a new genre called environment-porn.

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LINKS & REFERENCES

- 18 Jan 2023 - Panel discussion on Art, Activism and Climate Change - Rahul Jain, movie director | Helene Bukowski, writer | Dr. Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador | Philo Magdelene, Protect our Planet (PoP) movement

- Miyawaki Forests - https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/they-grow-fast-and-easy-but-do-miyawaki-forests-meet-the-fundamental-principles-of-ecological-restoration/article65258901.ece

- Shubhendu Sharma, Forester, founder - Afforestt - https://blog.ted.com/shubhendusharma/

- Judith Chevalier, Env Law, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Chevalier