In June I shared a first glimpse of a film from a harsh summer on the fringes of Mukundara. It is finished, and it is now live on YouTube:
Season: Out of Tune — https://youtu.be/vNTxghP-uhM
It is a film about climate change, seen from the ground. I filmed it over over one summer and the pre-monsoon on the fringes of Mukundara Hills (MHTR), in Kota district, outside the tiger reserve: the grasslands, wetlands and village edges where wildlife lives alongside people. Indian grey wolves cooling off in a shrinking wetland, Bengal monitors fighting over territory, Sarus cranes dancing, an Indian pitta family raising its chicks through a heatwave, hailstorms in April and May, and “seasons that no longer keep their usual rhythm.
Many of the behavioural observations I wrote about in June are in it: birds using Arjuna tree sap to get through the heat, the monitor fights, Sarus courtship, and the people of these villages living through it all. A field note on the tree-sap observations has also been submitted to Indian BIRDS.
It took far longer than I hoped, and I am grateful to everyone who waited. This film was made independently, and your support paid for the field days, fuel, storage, editing and sound behind it. To everyone who bought a coffee or became a member: thank you. You made this film possible.
Thank you also to Ishan Pant for the sound design, Sonu Kumar for field work and macro photography, Meghna Medhi for macro photography, and Sahil Zutshi for the guidance and interpretations throughout.
If you would like to help it go further:
Watch it, on a big screen if you can, and leave a comment. Comments help it reach more people.
Share it with people who care about wildlife, climate and conservation: researchers, biologists, filmmakers and nature lovers.
Support the next story from this landscape with a coffee, a membership, or by UPI at vinay.chittora-2@okaxis.
Thank you for being part of this journey. 🌿