Visually powerful films needed to convey science through storytelling: Sandesh Kadur

 For filmmaker Sandesh Kadur, a National Geographic explorer and the cinematographer for BBC's Emmy nominated 'Planet Earth II', conveying science through storytelling is very important.

"I believe in hitting people on the head with visually powerful films that convey science through storytelling," said Kadur to PTI.

Kadur's latest documentary, 'Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness', co-produced by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Felis Creations, will be screened in Bengaluru on November 21.

The film, which celebrates the story of India's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, was launched in Chennai on November 4, to coincide with the International Day for Biosphere Reserves, which is observed every year on November 3.

Kadur said the idea for the film germinated in one of the forest treks that he undertook with philanthropist Rohini Nilekani.

"We were discussing how Nilgiris is unique in many ways. For instance, Nilgris district also has the highest number of schools in India. We were talking about how there is not a single documentary showing the broader aspects of people's connection to this amazing landscape, when Rohini asked me why don't you make a film," said Kadur.

A big part of 'Nilgris--A shared Wilderness' was filmed in tea gardens and in villages. "That is the story of modern wilderness," he added.

He said he chose to make a blue-chip documentary, with 'extreme details, macro shots, aerials...'

"The idea is to draw people into the world of nature and then show the many treasures of the forest," he added.

Karnataka, especially is not new to blue-chip documentaries. 'Wild Karnataka', directed by Kalyan Varma and Amogha Varsha JS in 2019, featuring the music of Grammy-award winning composer Ricky Kej and the more recent 'The Natural World in Motion', produced by the Forest Department of Karnataka are some of the examples of this genre of documentary.

Kadur said the mainstream success of 'The Elephant Whisperers', although the film is not exactly a wildlife conservation film, did a lot in connecting the broader audience to films exploring the relationship of man and nature.

"It's about time too because there is a lot of drama in nature," he added.

But, just as he subscribes to David Attenborough, who believed that natural world is the greatest source of excitement, Kadur said he also believes in filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's maxim, 'in a documentary you can't have 65 minutes of awe, it should be 74 minutes of storytelling and then that one minute of awe'.

"So then, although it was possible to fill the entire 'Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness' with romantic and poetic imagery, given the landscape, I would say the film is as contextually powerful as it is visually appealing," said Kadur.

What he hopes to achieve with this film is to reintroduce people to the awe of nature and to the hope and fragility of nature as well as its interconnectedness with humans, said Kadur. "We don’t want the audience to forget that we too are part of nature."

But above all, like every wildlife conservation filmmaker, he said he too wants to tell people about the important role that they play in conservation.

"Hopefully, 'Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness' will stand the test of time, inspiring many generations about how awe inspiring nature truly is," added Kadur.