New Delhi, September 15: AJK Mass Communication Research Centre (AJKMCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) organized a one-day screening of three films on the subject of air pollution, ‘Delhi 2.5’, ‘City Moves’ and ‘More than Just Smoke: Stubble- The Farmers’ Dilemma’ at the FTK-CIT Conference Hall on 14 th September 2023. The films have been produced as part of ‘Storytelling for Environmental Change’, a collaborative project of AJKMCRC, JMI and Keele University (UK), funded by the British Academy’s Humanities and Social Sciences’ Tackling Global Challenges Programme, supported under the UK Government's Global Challenges Research Fund. The project aims to develop new stories about the air pollution crisis in New Delhi which foreground voices and perspectives that have been absent from mainstream media narratives. The project team which includes Dr Pawas Bisht (Keele University), Dr Sabina Kidwai (JMI), Dr Eva Giraud (University of Sheffield) and Dr Sudeshna Devi (JMI), have functioned as the supervising producers for the films.
The film ‘Delhi 2.5’ by filmmakers Amit Bose and Siddharth Subramanian focuses on the health of Delhi’s children and the menace of air pollution in a city that sees just a handful of good air days in a year. The film works with citizens, concerned mothers and youngsters to communicate their experiences, concerns and activism in relation to air pollution.
The film ‘City Moves’ by filmmakers Asna Jamal and Avikal Parashari looks at the issue of air pollution through the lens of mobility justice. It explores non-motorised transport as the sustainable solution for tackling air pollution in Delhi. The film documents how access to the city is embedded in the segregated spatial reality of Delhi.
The film ‘More Than Just Smoke: Stubble- The Farmer’s Dilemma’ by Shaz Syed looks at the issue of stubble burning in the state of Punjab. It shifts perspective from mainstream news headlines to the vast agricultural expanse of Punjab and to its farmers. It takes a small region as an example to reflect upon how farmers are caught in a web of agricultural policies that have over the years led to a steep decline in farming practices which have in turn adversely affected the land’s ecology and environment.
The film screening was attended by guests from civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, filmmakers, faculty and students from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre and Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia. The screenings were followed by engaging discussions among the filmmakers, the research team, and the audience.
