What is considered ‘progress’ which is in a sense synonymous with ‘civilization’ is human interventions into nature to enhance and maximize its own wellbeing. To this end science and technology has grown leaps and bounds to create a technocratic and digitized paradigm through which one could delve into the mysteries of the universe to further the wellbeing the human race. However, what is concealed from the public view is the massive ecological disasters the modern development paradigm unleashed on the flora and fauna that the earth’s equilibrium is at stake. This film festival and panel discussions around it are explorations as to how we could mitigate the imbalance at the earliest.

This summer, many Indian cities experienced record-setting temperatures. Multiple cities such as Navi Mumbai even witnessed as many as 16 deaths due to heat stroke during a public event. Deaths have been reported even when the temperatures were not sky-rocketing and people were exposed to extreme humidity. The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places in the world where wet-bulb temperatures could increase beyond the survivability threshold of 35°C.

India has been experiencing the severe impacts of worldwide climate change for a few decades now. Unusual and unprecedented spells of hot weather are expected to occur far more frequently and cover much larger areas. With rapid urbanisation our cities are becoming concrete jungles and in turn, ‘heat islands’. Dry years are expected to be drier and wet years wetter. Our rivers’ flows are already altered due to the glacier melt. Coastal cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata are particularly vulnerable to the impact of sea-level rise.

Being a developing country, we are still tackling issues such as disproportionate distribution of wealth and resources, strain on existing resources due to increasing population etc. Policies in India are still failing to be inclusive of the marginalised groups and communities. Climate change is deeply intertwined with global patterns of inequality, making the socially weaker section of the society more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and widening the inequality based on caste, class, religion, ethnicity, etc. in our society. Underestimating the effects of climate change in India could reduce or even reverse the progress on a range of goals for sustainable development related to poverty, hunger, health and wellbeing, equality, economic growth and industrial innovation and biodiversity.

Every year, millions of people from rural areas migrate to the cities in search of a better quality of life. This rapid urbanisation in the country will require new construction of commercial and residential spaces and infrastructure. That means, a large chunk of the India of the future is yet to be built. As a nation, we are at a juncture where we have the possibility to incorporate methods adapting to climate change and make our infrastructure resilient. We have a rare chance of designing them right.

Combining climate change resilient planning with inclusive policies and mindful businesses and industries can become our initial step towards tackling this threat to humankind. We need sustainable solutions, ways of living by using not only the technology and modern methods but also indigenous systems which can empower marginalised communities, genders and castes.

Keeping these complexities of tackling the climate change in India in mind, we are organising the second edition of an international film festival titled, ‘Jacaranda Tales’, on the theme of Climate Resilience. This is a non-commercial film festival and will be open to the public. We will be screening films that narrate stories of resilience and courage, as well sustainability and environmental actions and solutions, contextualised on the principles of equality, self-respect and dignity of people. The selected films will be both national and international and across the genres of documentary, short fiction, animation and action/ organisational video stories.

Interspersed with panel discussions with eminent environmentalists, knowledge experts, professionals and filmmakers, we attempt to initiate conversations that recognise such possibilities and contribute to the narratives needed in the current situation of a changing climate that urgently demands attention.
We aim to bring together a community that is aware and is imaginative towards creating a climate resilient future. The festival will be held in two-day slots at Gandhi Bhavan and Mount Carmel College to reach a diverse audience. We intend to take this film festival to Bangalore urban and rural academic institutions and communities soon after the festival is over, and will organise an online edition of selected films too.