Sarat: The Third Eye Of Resistance
By Countercurrents.org
27 March, 2012
Countercurrents.org
"The Third Eye Of Resistance" is a documentary on the life and work of C. Saratchandran who passed away in an accident in 2010. It is a journey through the life of Sarat, as he was fondly called, who travelled constantly with the camera and cinemas. It is a journey through the vivid, living memories of the protesters at Chaliyar, Plachimada, Muthanga and Kathikudam; through the experiences of his friends and everyone who have travelled with him or parallel to his path. As someone who pioneered in media activism as part of the little magazine movement during the Emergency, Sarat later on took up the very political duty of documenting the popular struggle movements of Kerala.
This film tries to be exactly that, a clear take on the popular risings of not just Kerala, but the whole of India, by exploring and coordinating the history of those who have travelled along with Sarat. While capturing the essence of Sarat's political rebellion through documentation, which began with the VHS camera to reach the zeniths of pioneering experimentation with the Digital technology, the film is also an inquiry into the ongoing technical and creative evolutions in the production and screening of documentaries, in its right as an important media in the new world. What Sarat did with his video camera was much more than transmitting the socio-political issues to be portrayed in the mainstream society. He stood by each of those struggles, feeding them with energy and the spirit to go forward, to reach success. For someone like Sarat, who remained wide awake in both at the struggle fronts and in his personal relationships; for someone as unconditionally empathetic, the camera was always the third eye for fulfilling his mission; the third eye of resistance. The documentary is directed by Razi
About Sarat
C. Saratchandran was born on 16 February 1958. Had his education in MG College, Trivandrum and at Dharmadam. During his student years, was involved in the resistance/movement against emergency. After obtaining his graduation, he traveled all over India, working as an accountant in a construction Company. His apprenticeship in filmmaking was from Late Sri. G Aravindan, and the Late John Abraham. During the 1980’s he was involved with Samkramanam, a radical magazine published from Kochi. He was also involved with the agitation for conservation of Silent Valley .For ten years; he worked in Saudi Arabia as Education Promotion Consultant for the British Council.
He was one of the first to realize the potential of the new electronic media in the 1980s. In the late eighties he started making documentary films on VHS. He also took it as a mission to screen his own films and others’ films on people’s issues throughout the length and breadth of Kerala and the neighbouring states. Saratchandran often become an active participant in the struggles he documented. His screenings played a pivotal role in raising public awareness on environment and giving focus to the debates on environmental issues and people’s struggles in Kerala.
He was the co founder and active organizer of the VIBGYOR film festival. He was the artistic director of ViBGYOR 2010 at Trisshur which concluded recently. He was also a prominent supporter of VIKALP, a platform to defend freedom of expression and to resist censorship.
At the time of his demise he was working on documentaries on industrial pollution due to a gelatin factory near-- Trichur, and a film on the current state of “Chaliar River”
He Learnt film making from John Abraham and G. Aravindam Worked in Saudi for British Council as Education promotion consultant. Started documenting social struggles in '80s and was often involved in the struggles he set out to document. His documentaries were focused on environmental issues. He passed away on April 1st 2010 when he fell out of a train near Kodakara in Kerala
A known Under Construction filmmaker, C. Saratchandran was known for films like Save the Western Ghats March: The Kerala Experience (1987); No to Dams: A Pooyamkutty Tale (1988); Ellam Asthamikkum Munpe(1989); Kanavu (Dream), a film on a tribal children’s commune in Wayanad (2001); Evicted from Justice – a video report on Muthanga massacre (2003); Your’s Truly John, a video essay on John Abraham, the film maker (2008); and To die for land – the ultimate sacrifice, on Chengara land struggle.
His association with P. Baburaj resulted in films like Chaliyar…The Final Struggle (1999), which won The Bronze Tree Award, Vatavaran 2002; and The Bitter Drink (2003) on the Plachimada struggle against Coca-cola plant, and Only an Axe Away, a film on the struggle to save the unique ecosystem of Silent Valley
He was also, involved in the making of: Living in Fear (K P Sasi) 1985; The Eighteenth Elephant – 3 Monologues ( P Balan)2001 Purooravas a Malayalm feature film (Sivaprasad)1986; Narmada A Valley Refuses to Die (K P Sasi in 1989); Ek Alag Mausam a Hindi feature film (K P Sasi ) 2000; The Turtle People( Surabhi Sharma) 2002. Express Highway: The Road to Destruction (Sanju Surendran) 2004.
Razi, Director of "The Third Eye Of Resistance"
Razi did his BFA in Applied Arts at the Thiruvnanthapuram College of Fine Arts and his MFA in Illustration and Photography at the M S University, Baroda. Then joined the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and got his Diploma in Cinema with specialisation in Scenic Design in first class with first rank. Four of his diploma films (as art director) were selected for the Indian Panorama and achieved national and international awards. He has worked as illustrator for magazines, as graphic designer, as stage designer for theatre productions, large scale stage shows and other events in India and abroad, and as art director for eight feature films (malayalam & hindi), short films, television shows, documentaries and music videos. Razi can be reached at [email protected]
The documentary will be screened in 30 locations around India in the next two months. Here is the schedule.
Screening of the film - Schedule
THE THIRD EYE OF RESISTANCE
1. Pune
Film & Television Institute of India
31. 03. 2012 | 10.00 am
chandramohan, mob: 0 20254 52878
aman wadan, mob: 0 90211 38139
2. Kolkotta
Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute
april Ist week
3. Delhi
JNU
april Ist week
4. Madurai
april IInd week
5. Bangalore
Pedestrian Pictures
april Ist week
6. Mumbai
april IInd week
7. Hyderabad
april IInd week
8. Chennai
april IInd week
9. Trivandrum
Kalabhavan, Vazhuthacaud
31. 03. 2012 | 09.00 am
Friends of Sarat
p baburaj, mob: 0 93870 18441
c s venkiteswaran, mob: 0 94464 87940
10. Alappuzha
april IInd week
11. Ernakulam
Orthic Creative Centre
31. 03. 2012 | 06.00 pm
Kaladharan Mash, Ph: 0 484 2376489
12. Thrissur
Regional Theatre
02. 04. 2012 | 06.00 pm
ViBGYOR collective, Navachithra film society & Chetana media
Prasannan, mob: 0 97455 04196
fr benny benedict, mob: 0 94470 00830
13. Kathikoodam
april Ist week
Anil Kathikoodam
14. Palakkad town
april Ist week
Santhoshkumar
15. Palakkad
Natyasastra, Kadampazhipuram
06. 04. 2012 | 06.00 pm
Dileepan Mash, mob: 0 94475 31447
16. Plachimada
03. 04. 2012 | 06.00 pm
Arumukhan Pathichira, mob: 0 92881 81655
17. Vandoor
27. 03. 2012
Santhoshkumar, mob: 0 94465 29991
mujeeb, mob: 0 94475 16223
18. Perambra
31. 03. 2012
Santhoshkumar mob: 0 94465 29991
mujeeb mob: 0 94475 16223
19. Vadakara
02. 04. 2012
Santhoshkumar, mob: 0 94465 29991
mujeeb, mob: 0 94475 1622323
20. Payyannoor
04. 04. 2012
Santhoshkumar, mob: 0 94465 29991
mujeeb, mob: 0 94475 16223
21. Manjeri
05. 04. 2012
Santhoshkumar, mob: 0 94465 29991
mujeeb, mob: 0 94475 16223
22. Chaliyar
april Ist week
chekku, mob: 0 94473 17225
23. Kozhikode
april Ist week
Civic chandran, mujeeb
24. Kozhikode
Calicut University Campus
30.03.2012 | 02.00 pm
Pedestrian Pictures
Sreemith, mob: 0 94976 60500
25. Kanavu, Wayanad
april IInd week
mujeeb, seena
26. Kannur
april IInd week
27. Kasaragod
april IInd week
28. Kodungalloor
Elamkunnapuzha Grama Panchayat
04. 04. 2012 | 06.00 pm
Sarat cheloor, mob:0 98094 77058
29. Kothamangalam
smrithi
30.05. 2012 | 06.00 pm
Antony Mash, Kamal K M
30. Thirur
10.04.2012 | 06.00 pm
Mustafa Desamangalam, mob: 0 94477 43040
Here is a tribute to Sarat by friend and comrade K.P.Sasi, we published on June 7, 2010
When The One Man Army Never Kept Quiet
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