MAATI CHE JE CHE : An Audio Visual Documentary film that focuses on the problems faced by the Kumbhar community of Kachchh, mainly regarding clay procurement

Abstract

This is a short documentary film about the potter community of Bhuj in Kachchh, focusing on their craft and various problems involved. The land of Kachchh in Gujarat has a great cultural and geographical history, humans of the region went onto live in an arid land and weaved their livelihoods around it. The Kumbhar community has tried to utilize the uniqueness of the soil of the region. The salt laden soil which is absolutely futile in terms of producing any viable crop was found to be more than apt for making the most efficient pots to keep the water cool in the arid areas of Gujarat. Majority earthen pots that all the cities of Gujarat get, are made by the potters of Kachchh till date. So the project focuses on how something as abundant and ignored as land or Mitti and how it has changed things for the people of Bhuj, in terms of their livelihood and profession. Having worked with the artisans prior I had a brief knowledge of the craft and community, but with eventual fieldwork I got to know more about the people, their livelihoods and the major problems involved with the sustenance. The film focuses on the uniqueness of the craftsmanship of the community, mainly the process of Gadhai and the specialized painting done on the pots by the women folk. The documentary is central to Clay that is the major raw material for the craft The final stages of the narrative touch upon the problem I started this project with, the scarcity and difficulty regarding the procurement of clay, by the potters of Bhuj. The visual of the film follows the journey the potters have to undertake for the procurement of clay. The process of making earthenware, their predicament due to the ever increasing scarcity of raw materials, their ways to cope with it, the idea of hope and future of the craft and the community. During the third semester, a lot of different project ideas were explored, which revolved around the idea of crafts and the communities. Shifting from the idea of educating people about various crafts and the people practising them. Under the guidance of my guides a craft form I was aware of was selected, and the focus was shifted to a single community. Prof. Vishvajit Pandya and Prof. Madhumita mazumdar made sure that I went to the feild , had my research in place and I had clear idea of what need to portrayed and what I aimed with this project. The way my research was steered and the comments and insights that I was provided during the course of this project, shaped up the final narrative.