Kerala: Documentary on Cyclone Ockhi set to release

Ockhi battered the Kerala coast last year in November, snuffing the lives of several fishers.
Kerala: Documentary on Cyclone Ockhi set to release

KOCHI: Ockhi battered the Kerala coast last year in November, snuffing the lives of several fishers. It was one of the biggest disasters to have hit the state in recent times. The tragedy that shook the state is all set to be released into the public domain in the form of a documentary. Christened ‘Ockhi: Kadal Katteduthapol’, the film documents how the cyclone wrecked havoc and the aftermath of the disaster.

“When a disaster of this magnitude hits the state, it needs to be documented,” says Walter D’Cruz, deputy director, PRD, who directed the documentary. The 45-minute documentary has been set into two parts, ‘Onnam Kadal’ and ‘Randam Kadal’. The first part delves on the trail of destruction left by the cyclone. The media clippings and archive materials of the cyclone Ockhi, along with the rescue operations complete the first part. Meanwhile, the second part features the fishers who survived the disaster and their experiences.

The work for the documentary began on the 58th day of the disaster. Four days of shoot covered the fishing hamlets in Poonthura, Vizhinjam, Poovar and Adimalathura. “When the cyclone hit us, there was a sense of nonchalance amongst the public. The disaster was mostly considered by the public as a matter of concern only for the fishers,” says Walter. The documentary also chronicles the life of the fishers and how Ockhi has affected them.

The documentary features interviews of the fishers who escaped from the cyclone while at sea and made it home. “While interacting with those who escaped from the cyclone, one could see the terror in their eyes. Their experiences have been documented,” says Walter. “The life of the fishers is always a struggle. Their life is not exposed to the public. They do not know the travails of these people who battle the sea on a daily basis. I wanted to bring to the public domain their struggle and their life,” he adds.

The documentary will be released on November 14 at 6 pm in Lenin Balavadi. The movie has been produced by Sixtus Paulson and the script is by S N Roy. Camera is by K G Jayan and editing by Rahul Rajeev. Music is composed by Sidharth, Jayasurya and Anand.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com