As humans continue in their rampage against the environment, here's a short film that makes you pause and reflect. The Story of Kaveri by Reforest India movingly depicts the journey of a slowly dying Kaveri. With an absorbing voiceover in Kannada, it draws attention to the adverse effects of deforestation on Indian rivers. Invoking the myth of Kaveri's birth, when Shiva granted a boon to sage Kavera, the narrative depicts how far the river has come from what it used to be. Kaveri now implores humans to save her from a fate of oblivion and themselves from drought and famine.

The Story of Kaveri | Short Film of the Day

When the film opens, the first visual is of a vast expanse of a water body. On its calm waters rests a boat, and two people in it. While one of them gently rows it, the other sits with a guitar in his hand, slowly easing the viewer into soothing music - Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. The premise that seems to have been established so far is one of an easy calm, tied with equally docile images of nature. It is precisely for this reason that when the film reveals its true intentions, the viewer is in for a disconcerting realisation. Using the elements it has presented so far, the narrative draws your attention to the devastating effects of climate change in Assam, especially in the wake of the catastrophic floods earlier in 2020. The truth it presents forth is far from the images conjured so far, deliberately drawing a stark contrast between the beauty of nature, and the manner in which human society is gradually and insidiously tearing away at it.

Prelude Over the Flood Waters in Assam | Short Film Nominee

The film serves as a disturbing reminder of the human onslaught on the environment, and the soaring levels of pollution that are slowly killing the planet. It is set in a dystopic society, not more than fifty years ahead of the present, where oxygen and water have become commodities rare enough to trigger wars. The film has a noble intention, very relevant in contemporary times as well. However, it's aimed at familiarising the masses with issues of climate change, not meant to be seen as a deep engagement with questions of survival. An unsuspecting viewer might find themselves disappointed with the narrative, VFX and the general execution of the story.

Carbon | Short Film Nominee

A mother’s love for her child is deep, and yet when the child does not respect her, it is her duty to correct their behavior. This is true of the planet which the narrative portrays as the mother of the entire human race. Because her children have forgotten how to treat her right, resulting in mindless littering and wasting her resources, she is now sending a message to us through climate change. There is also the reminder to take better care of her, and spread that awareness to one another. The end result remains well-intentioned as it shares the same ideas with the viewer.

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