COWBOYS IN INDIA (Simon Chambers, UK/India). 77 minutes. Subtitled. Saturday (October 15), 9:30 pm, Al Green Theatre.
PLANET IN FOCUS: INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL through Sunday (October 16) at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, ROM and Miles Nadal JCC. $5-$12, closing gala $22, passes available. 416-599-TIFF. planetinfocus.org. See Indie & Rep Film Rating: NNN
This doc about major UK mining company Vedanta’s encroachment on sacred mountain Niyamgiri in India is a mess – but that’s part of the point.
Director Simon Chambers appears never to be in control of anything. For starters, he doesn’t speak the language, so he’s dependent on his guide and drivers, who don’t appear to be committed to the project. The people in the Orissa region, where the mountain is located, can’t agree on anything, and no one at Vedanta will talk to him.
But Cowboys In India winds up being a fascinating study of the way foreign business interests manipulate communities. It’s also testimony to the limits of documentary filmmaking – something Chambers is the first to admit.
