Docu screenings on the impact of mining in Jharkhand, India

USOS invites you to a special evening with two docu screenings on coal mining in the Adivasi state of Jharkhand, India. This evening is organised by Luca Verhaeghe, a master's student in 'Film and Visual Culture' at the University of Antwerp, who is currently doing a voluntary internship with the NGO CATAPA. USOS supported her and other students during an exchange to India. There, she came into contact with the production house 'Akhra' from Ranchi (India). From this collaboration, an experimental short film was created, which is also part of her master's thesis. The short film The Sonic Ecology of the Adivasi Landscape focuses on soundscapes and community participation. Viewers are invited to help reflect on how coal mines affect not only physical and socio-cultural space, but also vibrations and thus sound vice versa. Here, we disconnect from discourse and try to approach the situation through our senses, transcending language barriers.

We then focus on the specific context of coal mines and the disastrous impact on miners' daily lives with the screening of the film 'Rat Trap'. This film, made by Akhra in 2022, highlights the harrowing realities of miners' lives. Both films will be introduced by the makers of the films. Richard Toppo, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Development Policy (IOB)with expertise on the region, explains the socio-political context. After each screening, we take a moment to reflect on the feelings, questions and comments raised. We conclude the evening by reinforcing solidarity between the Jharkhand movement and CATAPA's 'Right to Say No' campaign.

In both India and Latin America, mining activities have a detrimental impact on local communities. While both areas face similar global power dynamics, they play out in different socio-political landscapes. After each screening, we will reflect on the feelings, questions and comments the images have evoked. We hope this evening brings us together in a shared understanding and solidarity for communities struggling against the destructive effects of mining activities.

Hope to see you then!