40-minute documentary film on Modhupur sal forest, its demise and the forest people
Direction and screenplay: Philip Gain
Produced by Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD)
2018, 40-minute documentary film (English and Bangla available in DVD).
The documentary film, Aronner Artonad (Sylvan Tears), produced by Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) shows the current condition of the Modhupur sal forest, its demise and strained relationship between the forest villagers and the Forest Department. The stories of victims of physical violence including killings and forest cases and underlying factors for phenomenal destruction of Modhupur sal forest is at the centre of the documentary film. Of approximately 5,000 forest cases in entire Tangail district, 4,500 are in Modhupur sal forest area. The victims of forest cases narrate their insurmountable sufferings.
The key underlying factors for demise of Modhupur forest are rubber plantation that was initiated in 1986, social forestry beginning in 1989, and commercial scale plantation of banana, pineapple and spices in place of natural forest of sal-gajari.
The characters of the documentary film are seen in deep grief. They appeal to the government to save Modhupur forest and the forest villagers.
YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?=l3Djj9E2Img; Bangla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkLb25TlfnM&t=7s