At 14:00

Rooted Across Borders: Transnational Ecological Solidarities in South Asia

Panel Discussion with South Asian University

At 14:55

Sometimes Even the Shores Drowns (Pakistan)

(17 min; 2022; Urdu)

Director: Mahera Omar

Inspired by Rachel Carson’s 1955 book The Edge of the Sea, this short film showcases forms of marine life on the intertidal mudflats of Karachi. The city’s exposed shoreline is home to a fish that walks on land, mud crab that clings to mangrove tree trunks, the periwinkle, the bubbler crab and many other fascinating creatures. In and around mangrove forest creeks, the film takes you on a silent journey through a delicate wetland ecosystem on the shores of an industrial city that might soon disappear

At 15:20

Wagging Tale (Nepal)

(23 min; 2024; Nepali))

Director: Samagra Shah

Wagging Tale is the story of Rupak, who walks the streets of Kathmandu carrying 80 kgs of chicken bones every day with an unwavering mission: to feed the city’s street dogs. The film captures how, despite living with HIV and confronting the isolation that comes with having an estranged family, he finds a sense of purpose and a chance to forget his painful past while feeding dogs.

At 15:50

#GoHomeGota (Srilanka)

(51 min; 2023; English)

Director: Sulochana Peiris

This documentary looks at Sri Lanka’s 2022 Aragalaya (struggle) protests from a movement building and centres around interviews with several key core activists belonging to different ethnic, linguistic, and professional backgrounds. The leaders also discuss how they define and are working towards a “system change” which they envisioned to achieve through the movement.

At 16:45

A Flaming Forest

(48 min; 2024; Kanadda)

Director: Salman Javeed, Vivek Singh Sangwan, Satya Ambasta

The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Karnataka is home to the Soliga adivasis. This film traverses the rich tapestry of the BRT forest and the intricate relationships that the Soligas hold with it.

Followed by a discussion with the Director

At 17:50

When Pomegranate Turns Grey

(37 min; 2024; Urdu)

Director: Thoufeeq K, Khurram Muraad Siddiquie

The documentary follows Muraad’s journey to uncover the traumatic memories of the police action in Hyderabad in 1948. Through his grandmother, Gulnar, a living repository of time, he connects to a violent past. As she slowly recollects the indelible patches of a forsaken chapter in the history of the subcontinent, the past, present, and future are interwoven.

Followed by a discussion with the Director

At 18:50

Chardi Kala- An Ode to Resilience

(96 min; 2023; Hindi/Punjabi)

Director: Prateek Shekhar

In September 2020, the Indian government passed three agricultural laws aimed at liberalising the farm economy. Soon after, farmers from across the country gathered at the borders of India’s national capital, New Delhi, for one of the biggest non- violent protests in modern history. Farmers articulated detailed and nuanced criticism against what they believed were unjust laws. Chardi Kala (Eternal Optimism) follows the journey of the farmers’ protest until their victory.

Followed by a discussion with the Director