11th Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2023
Vinod Raja works as the Director of Photography in the advertising media and the film & television industry. He also produces and directs short films and documentaries. After graduating from the Film and Television Institute of India-FTII with a specialisation in motion picture photography he has been making independent documentary films working with several tribal and nomadic communities on sustainable values and climate challenges.
Filming a camera conversation with the late legendary writer and activist Mahashweta Devi over three days in December 2003, he was introduced to the nomadic and de-notified tribes in India. Over the past several years, he has been working with many nomadic and DNT communities.
Completed a series of eight short films on indigenous farming practices, sustaining seeds, forest produce and addressing climate challenges as experienced by the tribal and peasant communities living in Nagarahole, HD Kote, close to the Rajiv Gandhi national Park, southern Karnataka.
Has been teaching and holding camera and film making workshops at various film schools and Universities.
Co-curated the documentary section of the Bengaluru International film festival BIFFES- 2017, 2018 and the 2019 editions.
FILMOGRAPHY
'Nip in the bud' is a 40 minute participatory film made with the local community in Tamil Nadu, South India, on the prevention and treatment of Rheumatic heart disease. The film was made for the community health program of CMC Vellore and sponsored by the Indian council for Medical Research- ICMR.
1995 -TOLI CHINUKA or ”The fragrance of the first rain”
22 minutes, on the indigenous water harvest systems through tanks ponds and lakes in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The film was premiered at the Mumbai International film festival of shorts documentaries and animation films, MIFF -1996.
2001- The bee, the bear and the Kuruba.
16mm, 66 minutes, on the indigenous tribal communities protesting against the opening of a luxury resort in the core area of the Nagarahole National park, while they were being forcibly thrown out.
Film festivals : 21st Bilan du film Ethnographique, 2002, Musée de l' Homme, Paris. 32nd International Film Festival of India-IFFI 2001. United Nations Association Film Festival- Stanford-2001. 7th Mumbai Internaonal Film Festival -MIFF 2002. Film South Asia, Nepal, 2001. Planet in Focus, Toronto, 2001. 10th Environment Film Festival 2002, Washington DC. Cine Eco 2002, Portugal. 6th Environmental Film Festival 2002, Istanbul, Turkey. River to River film Festival- 2002 Florence. Open Frame PSBT & UNESCO 2003. Asian social Forum 2003 India Siemenpuu Film Festival, Helsinki , Finland 2011
2006- Photographed a Hindi/Dakhni feature film titled Doosra, 35mm Cinemascope, premiered at the Internaonal film Festival of Kerala in 2007
2007- Mahua Memoirs, Digital video.
Saloo, the bard and Thirku the Baiga take us on a journey through the lives of the many tribal communities who live in the mountain tracts and forests of the Eastern Ghats. The film unfolds the life visions and struggles of the Adivasis or indigenous people against mining that is mercilessly decimating their lands and lives.
Festivals and awards - 3rd SIGNS film Festival, 2007 Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The best Cinema on resistance.
10th Mumbai international film Festival of shorts, documentaries and animation films Silver conch and The Indian critics award, 1st international documentary and short film festival of Kerala IDSFFK- 2008 Best long documentary, 4th One Billion eyes Film Festival held at Alliance Francaise , Chennai. Best documentary.
Global Investigative journalist conference GIDC 2008, held in September at Lillehammer, Norway. Showed the film and presented a paper on the making of mahua memoirs.
2008- Vanishing trails, tales of the nomads. 40 minutes, A compilation film
Synopsis- Connecting disparate communities, diverse faiths, multiple languages and distanced lands through their uncommon ways of life and livelihoods, the nomadic communities, whatever names they may be known by, have always shared a symbiotic relationship with the more sedentary societies they have survived for centuries.
Their creative wanderlust was an essential part of the economic and cultural landscape they travelled through. The processes of colonisation and industrialisation indelibly altered this landscape.
Leading us through life glimpses into the ravaged lives of the Raj Nats, the De-notified tribes, the Bahuroopias, The Budagajangam and the Kadak Lakshmi, Vanishing trails attempts to track their disappearing footprints. And question the implications of this loss for our collective futures.
Screened at CHOTRO, the international indigenous peoples meet held at Tezgad near Baroda, Gujarat and many other film festivals and forums.
2008 to 2011 Photographed several documentaries.
2010 to 2015 Worked with International Institute for art culture and democracy - IIACD on India Digital heritage project -IDH Hampi documenting the Vijayanagara murals at Veerabhadra Temple Lepakshi. Entire panels measuring over a hundred feet were photographed and stitched into a single image. Recently the place has been recognised and declared a world heritage site.
Sikkidre Shikari, Illidre Bhikari ( Bird trapper or Beggar ) - 2017
A film on the Hakki Pikki Nomadic tribes
SYNOPSIS- “If I trap a prey I am a Hunter, if not I remain a beggar!” They are a free spirited nomadic tribe who began their journey many generations ago in the North Western part of the Indian subcontinent. Over a few decades they travelled through and settled in different states of the country. As they moved, they survived by trapping birds and hung small game in the forests and selling them in cites and towns along with lucky charms and trinkets. If the trap failed, begging was the next best bet! The film emerged through a series of community conversions held when we travelled with friends from a settlement in Bannerghatta, Bangalore to other settlements across Karnataka. Shown at festivals and forums across India with the premiere at India Internaonal centre New Delhi on 4th August 2017.
CONTACT : # 143, 4th main road, Malleswaram, Bengaluru 560003, INDIA Tel: +91-80-233403074, Mob: +91 9448062975, mahuatree@gmail.com vinodraja@yahoo.com
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