Road Less Travelled: The Pathbreakers
The great intangible is the way you make people think in a different way. This is what we experienced while filming our favourite documentary “The Pathbreakers”, a film that talks of the power of an individual to change the lives of many by uplifting the community through sheer grit, determination and commitment. One face from among a crowd of billion people in the country has succeeded in reversing the insurmountable problems and shaken society from its apathy. These are individuals that stand out as an example of all that is possible.
There is Chandralekha, who broke an age-old tradition of her village, where it was customary for every daughter to follow in her mother’s footsteps and join the oldest profession in the world of being a sex worker. There is Ladakh’s Glacier man, Chewang Norphel, who makes artificial glaciers in winter so that villagers can get water in summer for their fields.
Your soul is touched when you meet Shamshad Khan, the man who spearheaded the movement to rid the carpet weaving industry of child labor and welcomed the children into the world of literacy.
The journey to film such documentaries drains the heart out and numbs the mind. But it also humbles us in many ways, reminding us of the gifts that we have been privileged with.
Showcased in New Delhi (India) and London’s prestigious Nehru Centre, The Pathbreakers is now a series made every year by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
Section:: Films
