Aamakaar
(The Turtle People)

Malayalam/English/76mins 35secs/2002
Producer/Director: Sunil Shanbag, Chrysalis Films/ Surabhi Sharma

Subject Focus: The film focuses on habitat protection and the right of a local community over its own natural resources.

Summary: Aamakaar tells the story of preservation. The people of a village in North Kerala fight to preserve their village and their livelihoods, threatened by sand mining on their estuary. For the last ten years they have been conserving Olive Ridley Turtles that come to their beach to nest. They see the preservation of a species on the verge of extinction as an extension of their fight against the destruction of their estuary, their village and their lives. The film follows the rhythm of work in the village, to unfold this struggle for existence of a species, of a people.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Sunil Shanbag has worked extensively for television since 1985 developing program concepts, researching, producing programs, films and series. He has been one of the brains behind some path breaking serials like Bharat Ek Khoj and Surabhi. He has been the winner of the National Award in 1994 for Best Non-Fiction Film titled Maihar Raag.
Surabhi Sharma’s first film, Jari Mari: of Cloth and Other Stories was screened in several international film festivals and got awards at Film South Asia, 2001, Kara Film Festival, 2002, Festival of Three Continents, Argentina 2002. Aamakaar (The Turtle People) is her second film.