Rage And Resistance: Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda On His Short "Testimony Of Ana"
Director Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda is a filmmaker who strives to tell stories that demand an urgent conversation and seeks to engage with people, places, and communities that are slowly disappearing. His short documentary The Bubbleman premiered at the SXSW Denius Longhorn Showcase in 2019 and played at many festivals. His latest documentary short, Testimony Of Ana, tells the story of an elderly woman who was accused of being a witch.
An Adivasi elder accused of witchcraft by her neighbors in rural India uses faith and perseverance to survive several monstrous attacks. Living in an area beset by widespread logging, her refusal to be driven off the land sets up a conflict deeply rooted in patriarchy and capitalism waged on women's bodies—the witch-hunt.
This heart-wrenching short film will be receiving its World Premiere at this year’s Oscar-qualifying Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and it will also be receiving its European Premiere this year at Oscar-qualifying Kraków Film Festival. We had the pleasure of chatting with Sachin about the film, its origins, shooting in a hostile town, and much much more!
How did you catch wind of Anaben’s story and get connected with her?
Ten years back, during my undergraduate studies in Gujarat, I first came across the term "Witch-Hunting." I read that "a mob killed an old woman for feasting on people's souls" in a local newspaper. I was probably too young at that time to conceive what I read. However, that story etched itself at the back of my mind. Almost seven years later, I again came across an article about "Witch-Hunting." But this time, I wanted to do something about it. Especially after all the filmmaking resources that I knew I had at my disposal. So I decided to go to Gujarat again to do some fieldwork. There I met with some journalists and social justice lawyers who got me in touch with Ana, one of the only few survivors of "Witch-Hunt" attacks in rural Gujarat.
Ana’s harrowing story is shrouded in trauma, and much of it hangs over her home. What was it like hearing her story and experiencing the town firsthand?
When they briefed me about what the villagers did to Ana, I was shocked and couldn't stop thinking about it. There were a few news articles that covered her story in 2017. I still was on the fence about whether I should make a film about her or not. Questions like "Who am I to tell her story?" and "Why am I entitled to make this film?" kept bothering me. But once I met her in person, I was struck by how fearless and strong her voice is. I felt those news articles weren't enough. I felt people needed to hear her voice. Those questions started to fade away, and there was a sense of urgency that crept up on me, and just a single question emerged, "If I don't tell her story, then who will?". The village where she lived was hostile as expected — so we had to plan our shoots when all the men went to do farming during the day times.
The film has an excellent pace. Talk a bit about how you shaped the story and created its pace during the edit.
I think the pace was very much determined by Ana's voice. From the beginning, we had a structure in place. I knew exactly how her testimony should begin and end. I had to really turn off the video and listen to her voice to figure out where exactly and for how long the pauses needed to be. To make sure to sink in the information that she's providing and create time for the viewer to reflect on what they just experienced with image and sound.
The film is chock full of wonderful compositions and stunning cinematography. How did you and cinematographer Rohin Raveendran Nair create the film’s beautiful aesthetics?
I had to only work with Ana's memories because the incident happened in 2017. So Rohin & I decided to reconstruct them through a lyrical assemblage. The idea of juxtaposing landscapes with her voice emerged when we've seen how connected she is to nature in her daily life. I mean, historically, witches were midwives who used to derive their power from nature. Here we wanted to bring in that aspect again because society has branded her as a witch. We wanted to evoke a different layer of expression with stillness and wide-angled cinematography.
What drew you to the visual arts? How did you get into directing?
Cinema was part of my life ever since I was a child. Just the experience of consuming images with sound had a profound effect on me. I was a cinephile before I became a filmmaker. During my undergraduate studies, I consumed a film every day -- and I did that for four continuous years. I still keep consuming an unhealthy amount of films. Only when I finished my first short film and screened it to an audience, I've decided that I need to keep doing this for the rest of my life.
What films or filmmakers have inspired you, your style, or your approach to telling a story?
The list is obviously huge. But I'll try to limit it to a few. Mani Ratnam's "Bombay," Tatiana Huezo's "Tempestad," and almost all films of Pedro Costa have had a significant impact on my filmmaking practice.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
I want them to take away Ana's rage and resistance. Her tremendous strength as well.
Do you have any future projects in the works that you can share with us?
I'm currently developing a feature-length documentary that deals with the impact of climate change and the resilience of a community in rural India.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!