Kaippuneeru
(The Bitter Drink)

Malayalam/24mins/2003
Producer/Director: C. Saratchandran/P. Baburaj

Subject Focus: Chronicles the struggle of the marginalised tribal community against the MNC Coca Cola.

Summary: For the past one year, Plachimada village, located in Palakkad, of Kerala, has been in the thick of controversy. People from about 1,000 households, including several women belonging to Eravalar and Malasar tribal communities, have been holding demonstrations and staging sit-ins in front of the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages factory complex. The film chronicles the struggle of the most marginalised section of the Indian Society, the tribal community; it also discusses the issue of the ownership of natural resources, mainly water.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: P Baburaj has been associated since 1982 with Alternative Communications Forum (ALCOM), a filmmakers’ collective involved in producing videos and films on various issues. His film Chaliyar-The Final Struggle co-directed with C Saratchandran, received a Special Mention in the MIFF 2000 and a Bronze Tree Award in Vatavaran 2002. He started video documentation of environmental struggles, campaigns, and actions from 1982. Other documentaries include Kanavu (Dream).