UPDATE: THANK YOU! In just 4 days we've raised our minimum amount of £1500 to get us on our way to completing #toxificationfilm! We're now able to go straight into the sound edit, thanks to you and your generosity. Our overall target for finishing funds is £10,000, so please don't stop donating-
we can't wait to share with you what we're able to achieve in the sound edit!
Short Summary
The feature film, Toxification,
examines the plight of Punjabi farmers through their own personal stories and
the perspectives of authorities and academics.
Introduction to the team - About the
Co-Directors :
Rehmat Rayatt
Based
in London, social documentary filmmaker Rehmat Rayatt grew up in
rural Essex, England. She graduated from the Arts University Bournemouth
with a BA(Hons) in Photography and works globally as a director, DP and
editor.
Leva
Kwestany
On-the-road
documentary filmmaker Leva Kwestany grew up in London and after graduating from
the Arts University Bournemouth with a BA(Hons) in Film Production she set off
to discover the world and capture inspiring stories from her travels.
About
the Producers:
Nahiyan
Muhaymeen, Producer
With a BA (Hons) in Film Production and an Ma in Philosophy, Nahiyan is a London
based writer, producer and podcaster. Spends most of his time writing in all
sorts of genres and mediums (www.anondadhara.com). Currently developing a
graphic novel with Perth based illustrator Fiona Tsang (https://waijing.wordpress.com),
while podcasting (www.phonesonsilent.com). Has already produced
a fiction short in 2015 (26 Hobbs Lane).
Liz
Settimba, Co-Producer
Liz has
previously produced works in both theatre/performance art and film; from
project managing on the Street Genius Project for Quicksilver, (Rambert’s
youth dance company) who performed at the Royal Festival Hall ‘A Circus
Re-imagined’ (2012), to producing short films and a web-series currently in
development. She graduated as a Bachelor of Arts student in Drama, Film and
Television studies at Brunel University.
Overview of Toxification,
documentary film:
The north Indian state of Punjab was once coined 'India's
Bread Basket' for its ability to grow enough crops to feed most of
the country during the Green Revolution. However, the overuse of chemicals
introduced during this period to enhance production has damaged the soil and
depleted Punjab's natural water resources. As the land is dependent on
chemicals, so are more and more farmers becoming dependent on drugs such as
opiates which help them to work longer hours on the fields. Rates for buying
and selling crops vary, machinery breaks down, there is not enough rainfall; it
becomes a necessity for farmers to take loans from 'Arthis', the rich middlemen
who increase their interest rates without warning. More and more families are
left without a father, husband or breadwinner as the multinationals who produce
and advocate the chemicals profit from the farmers, who drink their toxic
concoctions to end their lives.
Our mission:
Our mission is to raise awareness of the
issues that Punjabi farmers are facing, and to spread knowledge about
environmentally friendly farming techniques.
What We Need & What You Get
In order to get this story told to the world, we are raising FINISHING FUNDS to complete the film. The funds (a total of £10,000 to be raised through this campaign and through donors directly) are going towards:
(1) Editing, colour grading and including animation graphics,
(2) Getting the rights to archive footage,
(3) Paying for the soundtrack to be recorded in a studio in India,
(4) Sound engineer and mixer,
(5) Fees for entering the finished film to festivals worldwide,
(6) Travel to guest talks, screenings, holding a Q&A about the film (date to be announced on twitter & facebook.)
(7) DVDs and promotional material
- In return please see our PERKS which range from £10 - £1,000.
- If we, unfortunately, are unable to raise all the funds, money will go towards (3) (4) (5) and (7). However -
If successful - ALL MONEY RAISED BEYOND OUR TARGET WILL GO TOWARDS OUR CHARITABLE CAUSE IN INDIEGOGO GENEROSITY !!! (DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS CAMPAIGN)
The Impact
Toxification is our first self-funded project. We believe that the voices of the farmers themselves are missing from other documentaries on the subjects we deal with, such as drug abuse, overuse of chemicals (e.g. pesticide) on the soil, depletion of water levels and ultimately, suicide. On a personal level it is important for us to share the heart-wrenching stories that we have captured; Rehmat feels a particular connection to her homeland, Punjab and Leva is passionate about the environment and caring for our planet and the creatures that live on it.
Risks & Challenges
Producer's Statement: So much of this feature doc is based on the tireless work of a very small group of individuals (four in total!) led by the amazing female filmmakers themselves. Our biggest obstacles in getting the project finished to the highest standard, is attaining the rights to archive footage. This is a time consuming and extremely expensive endeavour, particularly for a team working on such a shoe-string budget. Even a single cost in our budget that goes over our expectation can potentially be a massive spanner in our efforts to get this film out to the general audience. Beyond the tight rope of making sure everything stays on time and on budget, we have technical issues, such as ensuring we can record a soundtrack that does justice to the stories told.
Over a year of passion has been poured into this project; no one waited to be given a 'green light' to make this film. We saw an issue that spoke to us and flew out and made the film. We have now been in post-production for a while, we can see the finishing line, we just need your help to get us across. With your support we can end this journey satisfied that we have done justice to people who have suffered nothing but injustice, instead of limping across the line with an adequate documentary that reaches only a limited few. In the end this is about where our food comes from, how it's grown, the people who grow it and the tragic story behind the plate of rice on your dinner table.
Other Ways You Can Help...
Simply by visiting the Rehmat Rayatt Photographer Filmmaker facebook page and following our regular updates, commenting to posts and positively contributing by making your thoughts heard, is much appreciated support towards our mission statement! Plus -
This campaign page has tool sharing links, see BELOW our twitter page & website, keep sharing the word about this documentary, we truly look forward to communicating with you when you make either a connection or donation! And for some of you - we sincerely hope to see you at the premiere too!
