DocNights - Shorts Programme

DocNights – an initiative by Bitchitra Collective presents 3 films on the environment: 

Arathi MR’s Uppuveedukal, Kavita Bahl’s I Cannot Give You My Forest and Ipshita Bhattacharya’s The Bleeding Tides

Uppuveedukal 
Migration is as old as humanity itself. But today, in Kerala’s fragile coasts, it is not a question of choice but of survival. The sea has begun to reclaim what once belonged to it—homes, memories, and lives. For over two decades, this silent disaster has been unfolding, each tide erasing fragments of human history. From Kochi’s shores, Impoverished families are left with no choice but to move, leaving behind not just land, but an entire way of being. The film documents this slow yet irreversible displacement, urging us to confront the human cost of the climate crisis.

Directed by – Arathi MR
Produced by – Dreaming Nomads
Year of Completion – 2025
Language – Malayalam, English with English subtitles
Duration – 21mins 42 secs

Screened at - International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Chethana

I Cannot Give You My Forest
'I cannot give you my forest' is filmed with the women farmers of the Kondh aboriginal community in Niyamgiri, Odisha. Timoli and her friends offer us a rare window into their lives through their conversations and songs.  Their food system is an integral part of their symbiotic relationship with their forest- revered as their mother.
Over generations of co-existence, they have internalised the Forest – pacing the rhythms of their lives with the cycle of the seasons. The Forest is a metaphor for their identity and their sovereignty. Against the foil of the usurpation of the commons, their philosophy gives a counterpoint to the dominant discourse of monopolisation of the resources by the corporations.

Directed by – Kavita Bahl & Nandan Saxena
Produced by – Kavita Bahl & Nandan Saxena
Production Company – Top Quark Films
Duration – 30 mins
Language – Kui with English subtitles
Year of Completion – 2014

Awards won:
- Silver Lotus, Best Environment Film - National Film Awards (2014) 
- Special screening @ IUCN World Congress, Hawaii (2015)
- Gold award for Direction, Silver for Sound Design and certificate for creative excellence - @ IDPA Awards for Excellence (2016), India
- Special Jury mention @ 'Ma Planet(e) International Film Festival' @ Metz, France (2016)
- Best Film on Environment Conservation, CMS Vatavaran Film Festival (2015)

The Bleeding Tides
The Bleeding Tides is a powerful narrative that sheds light on the intersection of climate change and women’s health in the cyclone capital of India, the Sundarbans. Climate change impacts men and women differently. The impact of climate change on women in Sundarbans is multifaceted and complex. One of the lesser-known impacts is on the menstrual and reproductive health of women, who are disproportionately affected by increased salinity in the region. The film reveals how the lack of safe water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene, along with the lack of livelihood options and limited healthcare access, has triggered a public health crisis in this region.

Directed by – Ipshita Bhattacharya
Produced by – Saci Waters
Duration – 18 mins
Language – Bengali and English, with English subtitles
Year of Completion – 2024

The screenings will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Surya Balakrishnan

You can bring your own (soft) booze for this movie night under the moon & stars. Warm tea and munchies on us!

About DocNights by Bitchitra Collective
DocNights by Bitchitra Collective is a screening distribution initiative for documentary films created by Indian origin women/non-binary/queer filmmakers, who are members of Bitchitra Collective. This is a year-long screening series with workshops, panel discussions and post film Q&As with filmmakers, across India.