Saturday, August 28, 2010

THE BEGINNING OF MANY MORE...... CAZENOVIA





One of the biggest advantages of living in Syracuse that is located in the North East of America is it's picturesque getaways. This entire area close to the 'finger lakes' is believed to have experienced the ice age at its most intense phase. But when the glaciers melted and began retreating, they left imprints that are a nature lover's delight: massive lakes, waterfalls, numerous streams and rivers winding across the North East.

When I first decided to move to the US for my Master's, I wasn't excited so much about the prospect of going to University, meeting new people (which I think are the two best things happening to me right now amongst some others :)) and getting to see New York, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco and other historical/cultural cities that Indians tend to be familiar with (But I am getting to do them all gradually so hurray!) but the prospect of coming to a country that has numerous state parks and unimaginably beautiful spots to do trails and hikes, both of which help me preserve my sanity and bring me closer to my priorities. And today was one of my first and hope won't be the last.

One of my friends here is a wild child, not in the hippie-bohemian way but one of those women who feels unhealthy if she doesn't go on her long jogs or venture out into an intense hike. Having studied Greek art and history in Greece and travelled Eastern Europe, Israel, France amongst many other counties, she's a very intelligent and yet 'down to earth' 25 year old. We were supposed to take off for Ithaca today but my garage sale hopping threw our plan off radar and so a little research, google mapping and scribbling directions (she doesn't EVER use a GPS because it's turned Americans into robots. The charm of taking unknown roads now and then and getting lost is incomparable to that annoying auto voice beeping 'turn right' ' recalculating' grrrr) and we hit the road for Cazenovia. A small almost too good to be true 'New England'ish town, half an hour drive from Syracuse. And i'm so glad we shelved our Ithaca plan because really made the most of this town.


An hour's trail into deep woods along the river and we found a secluded spot almost etched into the landscape with perfection. With crystal clear water running through moss covered rocks at our feet - ferns and emerald green trees towering above us - we lay on logs strewn across a portion of a stream. That silence, the noise of water gurgling through those rocks injected a kind of peace that I have always realised to be crucial but one that I have only found in my mother's village, my grandfather's garden and of course the occasional trails that remind me how much I love all that the earth has to offer. About an hour later, we got back onto the trail and jogged our way through half of it. I was famished and almost dizzy by now so we walked over to almost every cafe and restaurant in town only to see the CLOSED 'will resume at 5pm' sign. A siesta culture in small ville! Almost like Kokata where shops are shut post 1 till about 4 for owners to catch a quick nap :)

So we survived on a Granola bar and a banana and waited outside the Glen Loch Mill, a very reputed quaint old Scottish inn. To kill time, my friend suggested that we venture towards the lake. Well that casual 'venture' eventually had us swimming in the lake. I shouldn't cheat you here. I can't swim but that just sounded so much cooler and easier :) Well I did doggy puddles and floated around ...while holding onto the steps while my friend a natural mermaid disappeared for long. The swimming instructor was surely amused with my water antics but she gave me a thumbs up and said "Well atleast you are trying to learn". Only if she knew I have been doing so for the last 10 years. Tch tch

Around 6 pm we get out of the freezing water, change back and quickly head back to our Loch and place our orders. I barely get to eat fish here or rather i haven't been experimenting much in Syrcause so the spiced Tilapia Burrito seemed promising. Just that there was no spice in it. I must sound such a 'desi' :P Well honestly given that the jalapenos were the only spicy thing on my plate and the chopped tomato with onion (which by the way came close to the 'tomator chaatney' which Ma makes for us) was watered down with some oil....I wasn't too kicked about my food. I should have just been bold and ordered the lobster. That meal was followed by some decaf coffee again watered down and pretty bad

All in all considering we barely did any planning and Jackie had heard of this place from a friend and we set out with her map etching and navigation skills (Ripley's....you guys need to come up with Believe it Or Not for this girl who rocks without depending upon a GPS) we packed in a trail, a two hour lounge in a secluded stream, a swim (or a splash depending whom we are talking about between me and Jackie) a meal at a famous old Scottish Inn and a waterfall on our way back.

Whoever said the US doesn't have places to see and things to do? I just hope this trip is the first of many more to come. And oh, thank God for women like Jackie. Finally found my nature trail buddy :)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

REMINDING MYSELF WHY I DO WHAT I DO

I have often asked myself what is the level of involvement that a filmmaker/video journalist should allow herself while working on a project. I don't even imply the kind of involvement that would involve making a contribution to the cause of an issue or one's subject. How about emotional involvement? At Journalism school (does anyone say J school??? or is that terminology reserved for the hallowed 'B' schoolers), we were always told 'be objective in reporting your story'. And it bothered a lot of us. It bothered me for sure. There is so much propaganda, hidden campaign, conspiracy theories or for that matter statistics and 'research' that convince you......sorry seduce you to believe in a particular aspect of anything under the sun that I am compelled (or was compelled atleast when I dreamt of being a reporter) to hold my ground and insist on enlightening folks about the 'other' side. Somebody has to do it right? And so I allow myself to be emotionally involved with my story. How else do I begin to understand the problem from the perspective of those it affects adversely?

Up until 2008, when I was still a Reporter (for a show focussing on urban and human issues for Times Now in India) there were plenty of times i allowed myself to be emotional about my story. That helped me write my scripts better and not stage my PTCs. Which is something all reporters seem to love doing these days because well they believe it's their 'Miss Universe' moment. You know the kind where what you say will decide if you are the winner. The focus is NOT on what you are saying but how tearful or emotional you seem. Piece to Cameras, by the way is broadcast parlance for the short sound byte that a reporter gives at the end or middle of a story to summarise it or give some perspective. It's another matter that it's no longer 'short'. Most journalists fall in love with their 'image' and the PTC could get you flak from your producer if you didn't have your make up on. Even if you were in a slum reporting on the rights of a girl child being denied education.

There was a point where I realised that I wasn't patient enough to last the neuroticism that a reporter's world comprises. I wanted to make short narrative films or advertisements, Public Service Advisory films or just documentary films that help me to tell a story in manner that I can really move my viewer. If my viewer mulls over what I created for him to see say while brushing his teeth, speaks about what he feels with more people and takes a significant step, any step, small or big - which furthers a cause or improves someone's life or makes other people want to sit up and read or talk more about 1 of the million issues that we visual storytellers need to address in our work - I would feel content. You may of course tell me that's not even half as good as watching a great news piece on the prime time bulletin show about the same issue. But I'll stand by this.

Getting back to my point of emotional involvement with my story. A friend of mine from Newhouse needed me to help shoot her documentary film on a CAFO (Contained Animal Feeding Operation) that is being planned half an hour away from Syracuse where I am pursuing a Master's degree. The area has been a hub for community and family farms for decades and now a company called BION is trying to push it's way in to this small town to start an ethanol plant. Now if you know anything about the debate on clean fuel then you would say "Hey Ethanol! That's a clean substitute for dirty crude oil, petrol etc. That's great!" And then if you knew more about how businesses dealing with clean and efficient energy alternatives are rewarded benefits in raking up carbon points you would say "Wow! That's environmental friendly business. Thumbs up!". However, I learnt a very important 'other' side of the carbon trading and environmental friendly alternatives we get to hear of these days. And that brings me back to the 'other' side of a story that is often not addressed or explored by journalists in their 'breaking headline' or 'prime time top news'. The vital piece of information which when placed in a context gives an issue an entire new dimension, sometimes a very frightening one.

As I stood by filming local farmers speak at the town council about their reasons for not wanting BION to step into their agricultural lands, not bring in 72,000 cattle that will produce manure for the ethanol plants, manure that will contaminate their waters, pollute the air and eventually threaten the livelihood of small farm holders, I couldn't help but feel afraid. Afraid, angry and anxious that these mothers, grandparents and youngsters of the community were entitled to feel. The whole guise of a meat processing plant that brings into your little town the potential to wreck havoc for your kids and for your life as you have lived it for generations could be devastating enough to give me nightmares to ruin my health for good. And to hear these ordinary men and women articulating their concerns in the most witty, intelligent yet dignified manner while dealing with a board of members with potential vested interests in the ethanol project or even the BIOn representatives seated in the meeting was to say the least an experience that gave me 'goose bumps'. Trust the BION representative (who by the way lives on Long Island) that he would live next to the ethanol plant if he had to. And that the community has the right to shut the plant if it affects them adversely. Sure! How many times have we heard of that really happening. It's like letting your dog take a dump on the nicest patch of your neighbor's garden and then say "Oh sorry, I didn't know it could kill your Petunias. I'll clean up now". This after the lovely petunias have wilted away and the poop has already left a stink that caused you migraines and probably woken you out of your deepest slumber.

And so I asked myself. It affects me. This affects me. Anything I film or choose to film matters the way that story is unfolding before my eyes. Be it a fictitious set of events or real life scenarios for a documentary (of course going by some classes I took this summer what a documentary really can do in terms of integrating fiction into its narrative has thrown up a whole new meaning for that format). Here I was managing white balance and holding the boom for my friend's film and I was almost impatient that she wasn't getting the perspective shot of the BION guys shooting each other meaningful looks while a mother of two explained what her research had thrown up. That BION was all about a profit making ethanol business that would rake in huge carbon points because of it's apparent 'clean' energy initiative. The irreversible effect of a 72,000 cows forever changing the topology of a small town of traditional farmers of course had no consequence to either BION or the authority that will award it the 'monetary' trophy for a seemingly 'valorous' step in creating clean business concepts.

Perhaps this is the last time I will be lending my friend a hand for her film. But it still makes me want to tell the stories that need to be told. And I need to remind myself of that now and then.