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...Moddhikhane Char | Char... the No Man's Island by Sourav Sarangi
IND/JPN/ITA/DKN/NOR 2012, Forum
![](/media/filmstills/2013/forum/20133553_2_RWD_1380.jpg)
...Moddhikhane Char | Char... the No Man's Island by Sourav Sarangi
IND/JPN/ITA/DKN/NOR 2012, Forum
![](/media/filmstills/2013/forum/20133553_3_RWD_1380.jpg)
Sourav Sarangi
...Moddhikhane Char | Char... the No Man's Island by Sourav Sarangi
IND/JPN/ITA/DKN/NOR 2012, Forum
Char is an island in the river that forms the border between India and Bangladesh. It is there that a boy named Rubel and his family live, along with others who lost their homes. The island emerged like a gift that the river gave to the people as a refuge after it tore away their native village when the water levels rose. But this gift is built on sand, a fleeting environmental reaction after the dam upstream was put into operation. Out of necessity, the people – much like the birds – have made use of this new terrain and built up a contraband business. Livestock, alcohol, rice, and other wares are smuggled past the border patrols with admirable finesse: a heroic battle for survival that provides Rubel with just enough to let him dream of a better future, although (or because) Char will be merely one stage in his life. Sourav Sarangi observed this soggy microcosm over a number of years, using various different cameras to capture heterogeneous, at times almost apocalyptic images on film. His story of a boy growing up is left with an open ending, mixed with an oddly wonderful feeling of amazement.
Additional information
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Dorothee Wenner, Sourav Sarangi
The moderator and the director during the Q&A.
...Moddhikhane Char · Forum · Feb 12, 2013