Lokadrushti - Shifting Sands

English/22mins/2003
Producer: Niret & Nikhil. J. Alva, Miditech Pvt. Ltd.
Commissioned by: UNDP

Subject Focus: Socio-economic and political change brought about by the intervention of Lokadrishti in Nuapara (erstwhile Kalahandi), Orissa.

Summary: The film highlights the achievements of Lokadrushti, an NGO funded by the UNDP, in transforming the lives of the people of Nuapara, Orissa by using indigenous solutions for development obstacles. Nuapara in western Orissa. It has a dark history of droughts and starvation deaths. The government has always tried to hide the real picture from the rest of the world. Drought relief challenged through official agencies failed to reach the real beneficiaries. It was in this contxt that Lokadrushti decided to intervene.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Niret Alva - has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in reporting, presenting, anchoring and directing for television. He is a Series Director and anchor for the Panda Award winning environment show Living on the Edge, The Great Escape for the Star network and the Asian Television Award winning automotive show Wheels. In 2002, he won the award for Best Current Affairs for Infotainment Presenter at the Asian Television Awards, Singapore.

Nikhil Alva, with his brother Niret Alva, in 1992 set up Miditech, a production house that specializes in environment and travel programming. His film Living on the Edge, India’s first comprehensive environment series won three awards: The Pinnacle, a national award; as the Best Information Series which is an international award - the Green Oscar, the Panda Award atWildscreen, in 1996 and the Silver Tree Award for Best Environment series in Vatavaran 2002. He directed and scripted The Lions of Gir which won a Special Jury Award at Vatavaran 2002 film festival.