Filmmaker’s Take

“One evening watching the sun dissolve into the lake’s womb, I fell in love with her. Not just with Chilika’s grandeur, but with her, almost conscious, vulnerability. In many ways she reflected me, as a woman. She was commodified, sold in the market, exploited for petty gains. Once upon a time, she was a Mother, a Goddess; now, she was a Resource. But she was not the only victim, and there was no one villain. In this complex web, we were all the victims and all the villains. 

Over four years I spent many days, many nights with the lake – trying to be silent, so she could reach me. Many days just wandering in the villages, speaking with the elders, hearing stories; and many evenings just watching the sun disappear into the womb of the lake. For me, she is a living, breathing being. And she allowed me to tell her story: of pain, violence, greed, and of a tragedy-in-waiting.Bearing witness to the story, I pray: may this story travel far and wide; so we may learn from our own mistakes. And when we loose; we don’t lose the lesson.”