THE HIMALAYAS ARE HURTING, THEY NEED YOUR HELP!
This is a story about the magnificent Nanda Devi mountain - the twin - peaked mountain that straddles the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas in INDIA. It's revered across Uttarakhand for her grandeur. The Ganga and the Yamuna - arise from the Nanda Devi biosphere and the glaciers that support these rivers are disappearing fast! 95% of the glaciers are melting at a alarming rate & we need to highlight this only then can we do something about it, together! The film, The Devi Chronicles, is a sincere effort towards this cause.
My name is Niki Nirvikalpa and I'm a 32-year-old film director from Bangalore. I'm making THE DEVI CHRONICLES, a 75 to 90 minute film that I hope will change the fortunes of the Nanda Devi mountain area and the 25 million people who are impacted by it. Read this story and fund this crowdfunding campaign - the proceeds of which will go into making this film .
I've already started working on the film that will document the destruction happening in the Himalayan region and how global warming is impacting all those who are a part of this region, and that it will soon affect millions who are part of the same ecosystem. The film intends to sensitise people about the gravity of an entire ecosystem being destroyed! We need your support to help us make this film by raising INR 11,20,000.
With Nanda Devi as the central focus, this film seeks to address the issue of climate change and traditional values of Jal, Jangal and Jameen of the people of Uttarakhand. This, we will explore through the myths and legends of Nanda Devi, their rituals and shraddha of being and working in the High Himalaya. The film’s narration will be through puppetry, live footage, interviews with scientists, hill folk as well as the Last Guardians of the Himalayas.
We will be exploring the Himalayas' state of environment; and the progress, or devastation that is being wrought with the current model of ‘development’.
We have already travelled over 7,000 kms by road, walked and trekked over a 1,000 kms in our quest to make the film. We need YOUR help to complete the film, and to share this daunting story with rest of the world.
THE GLACIERS ARE MELTING
The images below of the Pindari glacier
PIC: Images above show the RECEDING Pindari glaciers from 1897 to 2016.
The above series of pictures shows the retreat of one of the glacier systems called the PINDARI glacier. It's part of the Nanda Devi mountains. The first is a map from 1847. The second image is a photograph clicked in the year 1941. And image 3 is a picture we shot in June 2016. The difference is stark and extremely disturbing.
THE NANDA DEVI IS CHANGING
The two pictures below highlight the plight of the once beautiful, and snowcapped Nanda Devi mountain!
WHAT IS THE FILM ABOUT?
NAME: The Devi Chronicles
Duration: 75 to 90 minutes
Cost: INR 11,20,000 (Detailed cost sheet below)
Schedule for shoot & completion: August 2017 to Feb 2018
Exhibition /Screening plan: We plan to screen this movie at multiple points.
- First, in the locations we shot.
- We then plan to screen it in select cities as part of a tour for the film.
- The film will, of course be available online.
- We will send the film to film festivals too, so that it's screened there if selected.
IMAGES BELOW SHOW HOW DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS THIS VULNERABLE AREA
Pic: Road clearing work
Pic: The impact of development
This film will be shot and edited entirely on 4k. This will make the film ready for TV & for theatrical release.
COST BREAK - UP
PROJECT TIMELINE
ABOUT US
The FILMMAKERS
DETAILS ABOUT THE NANDA DEVI
Nanda Devi, loosely meaning the 'Bliss-giving goddess', is the most venerated among the many goddesses and local deities of Uttarakhand. Her temples and cairns dot the landscape and mountains of Uttarakhand, throughout the region where she is revered as the 'Devi'. A few facts about Nanda Devi are below -
- 2nd Highest mountain in India
- Location - UTTARAKHAND
- Height - 25,643 feet above MSL
- Flora and Fauna - Snow Leopard, Black bear, Blue Sheep, Musk deer etc. & over 312 floral species
- UNESCO world heritage site
Map of Nanda Devi & the river systems that depend on it.
Risks and challenges
We will be doing a trek across five glaciers, some of which are culturally significant in the state of Uttarakhand. We will visit the glaciers of Pindari, Kafni, Namik, Sunderdonga, Milam, Lwan, Nanda Devi East, Roop Kund, Lata Kharak and the Duranshi pass, winding up at Hom Kund, at the base of Nanda Ghungti.
The crew will travel for 150 days approximately, in some of the toughest terrains of the Himalayas. The number of crew members will be kept to a bare minimal considering the rough terrain that we will have to traverse for extended periods of time.
Capturing the lives of people spontaneously is not an easy task which is why we've eschewed all forms of private transport and will be travelling only through public transport, or walking with people, in order to connect with them and encourage them to open up to us.
This film will include traditional songs about the 'Devi', and we will be covering some of the most important festivals associated with her, including Nandashtami.
This film will also include traditional forms of puppetry that range from Uttarakhandi to the ancient form of thol paava koothu, or shadow puppetry from Kerala, to retell some of the myths associated with Nanda Devi.
FAQs
What are you shooting this film with? Can it be telecast on TV later?
This film will be shot and edited entirely on 4k. This will make the film ready for TV telecast, as well as a theatrical release.
Who will you be interviewing in your film?
We will be interviewing anthropologists, environmentalists, geologists, cultural researchers, and many more.
Some of the people we have spoken to in our journey so far have been stalwarts like Padma Vibhushan Sunderlal Bahuguna (part of the Tehri Andolan), Padma Bhushan Chandi Prasad Bhatt (who was instrumental in starting the CHIPKO movement), Padma Shri Dr Shekhar Pathak (eminent historian), Bill Aitken (eminent author), among many, many others.
Why is the film important to you?
The Nanda Devi has held a fascination for me ever since I was a kid. When Dr Pant and I met over 5 years ago, we immediately hit it off with our common love for the Devi, among many other things. Ever since, we have been meanng to make a film on the Devi. When in 2013, we started planning to make the film, the devastating and tragic floods in Kedarnath hit. We decided to follow that, out of which came Devi ki Duvidha. In late 2016, my car was broken into after a shoot, and all the stuff we had ever shot--from our first film to the last--was stolen. So, I decided to invest all my savings, and make this film.With dire stories of climate change that have been raging across news channels and the internet these days, and people talking about it like it is the end of days, we, too, were feeling the melancholy. We wanted to explore this through the eyes of the natives who have been feeling the brunt of it in the High Himalaya.
This is a story that needs to be told, and needs to be heard.
What are the crowdfunding charges?
Fueladream charges 2% for the payment for the payment gateway and 7% as crowdfunding charges. With Goods and Services Tax the total comes to 10.62%. There is also an initial fee of 3000 INR which is being waived for us.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly. It’s s concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an Idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream is a crowdfunding site and platform in India that allows for such a pooling of funds.
You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on a FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries in addition to tax benefits.
