Panchgani: Fire on the Mountain

English/27mins/1999-2000
Producer: Mandakini Mathur

Subject Focus: The practice of burning hill slopes in and around Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar.

Summary: The film is a document of the personal experience of the wanton burning of the Western Ghats in the Panchgani / Mahabaleshwar region. This enquiry attempts to throw some light on the issue of man and his environment. What pushes the villager to consciously light a match, which sets a whole hillside aflame, destroying precious and fragile saplings, murdering ground dwelling bird, insect and animal life on an unimaginable scale? What are his compulsions?

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Mandakini Mathur has done her M.Phil. in French cinema from Paris. For the last six years, she has been teaching Media Awareness and Communication skills to High School children where the process of filmmaking is used as a means of exploring values, feelings and reality. Her recent work includes documentaries in video as well as celluloid format on subjects related to Indian culture and philosophy. Some of her films include Looking for a God with River Krishna, The Clay Cart amongst others. Currently she is involved in making World Wars and enquiry.