“The Quality of a Civilization is reflected on the Quality of the Rivers and the Waters”
As a civilization, we won’t fare all that well on that definition. Less than 1% of world’s freshwater is directly accessible for human use and we are fast depleting it through ‘overuse’ and ‘abuse’. And the melting of glaciers, if left unattended, will dry up sacred and abundant rivers like Ganges and Yamuna.
It is predicted that by 2020, many of the major cities in India will run out of water unless some dramatic steps are taken. Despite the deepening of the crisis, most people in the city are oblivious to the problem.
We feel that there is only one way to address this- increase people’s awareness about the seriousness of the crisis and the solutions. “Voices From The Waters” is a traveling film festival on water that started with this intention and has grown in stature beyond our own imagination.
Voices from the Waters - 2009
Voices From the Waters is the largest International Film Festival on Water, with more than 300 handpicked films that deal with the many dimensions of the water crisis- ecological destruction, livelihood and migration, discrimination distribution, sanitation, harvesting and so on. The festival has been much acclaimed and films from the festival have played at prestigious international film festival such as the Margaret Mead Film Festival, New York, Mountain film in Telluride and Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca College, USA.
It was a festival in design, but has become a movement in reality. The true success of ‘Voices From The Waters’ lies in its ability to reach out to the students, film makers, artists, water activists, architects, engineers, scholars and policy makers.
The 4th International Film Festival on Water - "Voices from the Waters 2009 " was conducted from the 4th to the 7th of Sepetember, 2009. It spread across many auditoriums in Bangalore so as to reach a more diverse target audience – Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park for School Children, MES College for College Students, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Badami House, YWCA and Suchitra Film Society (General Audience). A great crowd of people attended the whole festival.
This Film Festival on Water is brought to you by a consortium of National and International organizations active in water issues, bringing together students, film makers, artists, water activists, architects, engineers, scholars, visionaries and all concerned from across the world!
This unique event will spotlight on the serious global water crisis, conservation, consumption, conflicts, dams, displacements, floods, droughts, migrations, global warming, climate change and how these impacts our contemporary lives and futures… It’s a unique platform for voices of concern over water including testimonies of people working on water and with water.
Voices from the Waters -2009 seeks to embrace and trigger interdisciplinary dialogue and vigorous debate on water across all its forms: economic, social, ecological, political, cultural, technological and the aesthetic.
Highlights:
Water Awareness Cycle Rally by Youth Conference
on 29th August, 2009 on climate change and water.
Paintings and photos exhibition on water.
Water Songs.
Conference on Critical link between Climate changes Food, water, livelihood and ecosystem security.
Interaction with various Film Directors.
Contact Voices from the Waters
Georgekutty A.L.
Secretary, Bangalore Film Society,
33/1-9, Thyagaraja Layout, Jai Bharat Nagar,
M.S. Nagar P.O,
Bangalore- 560033, Karnataka
India
“Voices from the Waters are the Voices of people who are deeply committed to water issues. The festival takes you to the waters: to see and listen to her manifold stories…”
- Art by 