About Catapults to Cameras
Film
In this film by Roundglass Sustain, Kolkata-born wildlife filmmaker Ashwika Kapur, sets out on a deeply personal quest to uncover the roots of an illegal wildlife hunting festival in the forests of her home in Bengal. Here, each year, thousands of protected animals are massacred in an illegal blood sport. She finds a heart-breaking truth: children as young as three are handed catapults as weapons in an assault against wildlife. In a defiant act of hope, Ashwika teams up with conservationist Suvra Chatterjee, to inspire change where it matters most - in the hearts of children within these hunting communities.
Impact Campaign
In an inspiring journey beyond the screen, Roundglass Sustain has partnered with HEAL to launch an actual conservation project by the same name. Catapults to Camera is now impacting change for both the youth and the wildlife of Bengal. What originated as a film and a small yet passionate experiment, is now an ongoing programme that is quantifiably expanding every month. Here is a report of what has been done under the project so far, and its vision going forward.
Team
DIRECTOR: Kolkata-born Ashwika Kapur is a science communicator and award-winning natural history and conservation filmmaker. At 26, Ash launched her career with a "Green Oscar", as a best emerging filmmaker at Wildscreen Film Festival. Ashwika has worked with the BBC, National Geographic, Netflix, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet & Roundglass Sustain. She's currently a Director with the BBC Natural History Unit.
HEAL: In 2017, a handful of passionate young people came together to address East India's mounting environmental problems. People from all walks of life who shared their determination to protect wildlife joined HEAL to form a team like no other in Bengal. HEAL stresses that EVERYONE can become a conservationist. And it is in this spirit they are now inspiring children from illegal hunting communities in India to protect the very wildlife they once hunted.
ROUNDGLASS SUSTAIN FILMS: RoundGlass Sustain is a not-for-profit initiative telling stories of India's natural world to document science, create awareness, and support conservation. Our films explore narratives about India's wildlife, their habitats, and the changes wrought by climate change and environmental distress. Rooted in scientific research, the films use compelling storytelling to simplify complex concepts, engaging and motivating audiences.
Get Involved
AMPLIFY
1. Organise a screening, create awareness, and galvanise support. The elephant deaths in August have once again highlighted the need for such interventions in the region, and the important of reaching children who are our greatest hope in this time.
2. Make the screening Pay As You Like. Encourage attendees to give as much as they’re comfortable with to support the impact campaign.
3. Send us photos, video clips, and testimonials from your screening to help us build support. Here's a link to testimonials from a recent screening <insert link to RTA reel>
GIVE
1. Do you have an old camera (DLSR, must have a good zoom function, the children love it!), binoculars, or field guides? Send them to us at:
Human and Environment Alliance League
Ground Floor, 87/20 Bosepukur Road,
Kolkata 700042, West Bengal, India
Attn: Suvrajyoti Chatterjee
2. Inform us via the form below so we know what you’ve sent; we can keep an eye out for it and let you know when it arrives!
3. You can also sponsor new cameras/binoculars/field guides. See the Donate section after the form.
DONATE
1. A workshop transforming the way 5 children relate with the natural world, costs just Rs50,000. Donate as much as you’re comfortable with here. Your donation is tax exempt under Section 80C and you will receive a certificate.
2. We’re building a field library for the children, where they can continue using the cameras and learning more even after the workshops. Send money to buy binoculars and field guides, a colour printer with photo paper, or the salary of a HEAL staff person operating the library (Rs15,000 a month). You can do this at www.roundglasssustain.com/donate