Marianne Maeckelbergh - 16 November 2004 - United Kingdom - Drowned Out -
An inspiring and uplifting documentary about the most depressing of circumstances
Publication: Red Pepper Magazine
The Advivasi people of India's Narmada Valley have had decades to get used to the idea of dying. Since the Indian government started construction on the massive Narmada Dam project, the Adivasis have learned, one by one, what happens to indigenous populations when they get in the way of industrial development. For the authorities in Delhi the project represents the power and technological advancement of the Indian nation, but to the people who live in its submergence zone it represents a choice between life and death. And they have made their choice clear. Ask anyone in the valley and they will have only one thing to say: "We will drown, but we will not move."
Franny Armstrong documents their story in her latest film, Drowned Out. The film starts at the home of Luhariya, where the population of several villages has gathered. They are not sat around the table chatting, but stood waist deep in water awaiting their own disappearance. This opening scene dramatically catches the moment of 'satyagraha' (bearing witness to truth) and the violent police eviction that followed it. For those who might wonder why anyone should choose to drown rather than to move house, the film does a strikingly effective job of explaining the complexity of the situation.
By following the daily struggles of Luhariya and his family through three years of fighting the dam project and the Indian government, Drowned Out tells the story of a family coming to terms with losing everything: their livelihood, their land, their home, their family, their village, their culture, their future. But the film is not only a powerful emotional journey; it also offers a thorough synopsis of the facts: 16 million people displaced by dam projects in India; no acceptable resettlement available; many families unrecognised as "Project Affected People" and, therefore, not eligible for financial or land compensation - despite their having lost everything.
Where the video version of this film could not go into depth, the DVD can. Extras include an extended interview with anthropologist Hugh Brody, whose advice led the World Bank to withdraw it's support for the Narmada dam project in 1993; a funny quiz to test your retention of all the facts; a 15 minute update on the situation in the Narmada Valley since the film was first made; and a wonderful short film of the Adivasis themselves viewing Drowned Out - their first film viewing ever. This is an inspiring and uplifting documentary about the most depressing of circumstances.
