K.P. Sasi

K.P.Sasi
Born	14 March 1958 Thrissur, Trichur, Thrissur district, Kerala state
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Film director and Cartoonist

Biography

K.P.Sasi (Malayalam: കെ പി ശശി ) (Karivannoor Puthanvettil Sasi)^[1] KP Sasi the son of K. Damodaran^[2] ( 25 February 1912 – 3 July 1976) was a Marxist theoretician and writer and one of the founder leaders of the Communist Party in Kerala, India. K.P.Sasi is an Indian film director and Cartoonist from Bengaluru K.P.Sasi started working as a cartoonist while being a student at JNU during the late seventies. He started experimenting with films on 8mm during the early eighties. His documentaries include "A Valley Refuses to Die", "We Who Make History", "Living in Fear", "In the Name of Medicine" and "Voices from a Disaster". His feature films include Ilayum Mullum,^[3] on the social and psychological violence on women in Kerala, Ek Alag Mausam^[4][5]and Ssh..Silence Please,^[6] a silent comedy film on development. His films have been screened and awarded at several national and international film festivals.

Filmography

As Director

2009 A CLIMATE CALL FROM THE COAST This documentary film is a call from coastal communities in Kerala state of south India, who are beginning to see the impacts of global warming and climate change at close quarters. While scientists have yet to establish how exactly weather, wind and waves change, the fisher folk find an angrier sea carving out more and more of their land. They are concerned about the changing course of ocean currents and disappearance of small fish from the coastal waters. Pollution and construction along the shore make things even worse. Though their carbon footprint is very small, these local coastal communities bear the brunt of mounting emissions worldwide. They call for leaner, cleaner production processes and demand a place in the climate change debate.

2009 LIKE LEAVES IN A STORM A documentary on hardships and the effect of globalization on tea garden workers in India.

2009 TSUNAMI REHABILITATION: AN UNFINISHED BUSINESS Four years on, rehabilitation with an unprecedented level of humanitarian support has helped a large number of tsunami affected people get back their livelihoods. At the same time tsunami rehabilitation is also the story of failed promises and missed lessons. This scenario raises questions about humanitarian standards and the rights of the disaster-affected people. Besides, there is the challenge of ensuring safe life on the coasts. There is also the issue of dilution of coastal environmental norms to make way for business as part of the global neoliberal agenda. In the film humanitarian workers and local communities analyse these aspects of rehabilitation and seek answers.

2009 Gaon chodab nahin – (Music Video-5 mins) The adivasis, the original or indigenous dwellers, face massive displacement due to developmental projects, destroying the roots of their survival base. A voice of assertion that echoes throughout this music video that captures the marginalization of adivasis all over India and forces us to ask: In whose favor does the God of development work, and whom does it curse?

2007 'Resisting Coastal Invasion', a documentary film about one of the most pressing issues of coastal India - the aggressive attempts being made to commercialize India's already-degraded coasts. Fundamental policy reforms are on the anvil threatening the lives of fisher folk and also our fragile marine and coastal ecosystems - reforms against which vigorous public dissent is fast building up.

2006 'If It Rains Again', a documentary that brings out the agony of the life in post- tsunami shelters in Tamil Nadu. More than two years after the Dec 2004 tsunami, most of the disaster survivors still remain in temporary shelters. A large population still continue to live without the basic amenities with constant threat of fire and rain.

2005 'The time after Tsunami', a film that captures the testimonials of the survivors of the deadly tsunami that struck the coast of southern India on 26 December 2004.

2005 'Redefining Peace - Women lead the way', a film that captures the work of a few among a thousand remarkable women from all over the world who were nominated by networks of women's groups for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. This film received the best film award and the best documentary award at the 3rd Swaralaya International Film Festival in July 2006

2005 'America, America!', an anti-war music video, that is a satirical but severe indictment of America’s role in escalating world conflict.

2004 `The Source of Life for Sale' on the impact of privatization of water in India and the subsequent struggles of the local communities in different parts of the country.

2003 `Shhh...Silence Please',^[7] a silent comedy film. Theatre release of the film

2002 `Development at Gunpoint', a documentary on the struggle of the adivasis in Kashipur affected by the bauxite mining.

2002 3 short documentaries on the activities of the Latur earthquake survivors.

2001 `Voices from a Disaster', a documentary on the problems of the earthquake survivors in Gujarat.

1998 Hindi feature film Ek Alag Mausam',^[8] on the human rights violations of the HIV patients in India. The film is scripted by Mahesh Dattani and the main cast includes Nandita Das, Rajit Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Renuka Shahane and Bharat Gopi. 1994 `The Wings of Kokkrebellur', on the conservation values of the villagers of Kokkrebellur in Karnataka, who conserved and protected rare birds.

1993 a short film `Appukkuttan in Time Runs', on the problems of the changing pace of life in modern times for Asianet.This programme was telecast at least 35 times in Asianet.

1991 the feature film Ilayum Mullum^[9] (Leaves and Thorns), on the social and psychological violence on women in Kerala.The main cast of the film includes Pallavi Joshi, Shanti Krishna, Thilakan and Nedumudi Venu

1988 the documentary `A Valley Refuses to Die', on the social and ecological problems created by the Narmada Dams.

1989 `A Campaign Begins' on the national march of the fisherpeople with a slogan `Protect Waters, Protect Life'.

1988 the short film, `The Rope', on the need for collective action.

1987 `In the Name of Medicine' on the hazardous and banned pharmaceutical drugs in India.

1986 the documentary `Living in Fear' on the radiation hazards created by the Indian Rare Earths Ltd an undertaking of the Dept. Of Atomic Energy. This was the first anti-nuclear film in India, documenting social and ecological problems of a nuclear establishment.

1985 the documentaries `We Who Make History' and `That Angry Arabian Sea' on the social and ecological problems of trawling and the subsequent protest of the fisher people in Kerala.

1984 the documentary, `Science to People' (On the People's Science Movement in Kerala) for Doordarshan.

1982 Experimented with films on 8mm.

As Cartoonist

2004- Published `InPosters' a book of posters on contemporary social issues.

2000 - Published `When the Birds Stop Singing', a book on the problems of pesticides.

1996- 1998 : Initiated a study on the social and ecological problems of pesticides.

References

1. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/his-camera-speaks-truth-to-power/article4183206.ece
2. K. Damodaran
3. Ilayum Mullum
4. Ek Alag Mausam
5. Ek Alag Mausam (English: A Different Season) (Hindi: एक अलग मौसम) is 2003 Hindi language movie directed by K.P.Sasi and starring Nandita Das, Anupam Kher, Renuka Shahane, Rajit Kapur, Arundathi Nag, Sreelatha and Sally Whittaker.
6. http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/05/29/stories/2003052901310200.htm
7. Ssh..Silence Please
8. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0832297/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1
9. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110107/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_2

External links