Land of the Blackbuck: A Story of Hope and Resilience

Venue

Bangalore International Centre

Address

7, 4th Main Road, Domlur II Stage, Bangalore, Karnataka 560071, India

Dates and Times

Saturday, January 3, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Prices and Tickets

Free entry on a first-come, first-served basis with RSVP and availability. RSVP is available via a Google Form.

Speakers and Collaborators

• Sumanth Kuduvalli: Filmmaker & Conservation Storyteller, founder of Trailing Wild Productions, and Managing Trustee of the Reach Wild Foundation. His work focuses on visual narratives for conservation.
• Kavita Isvaran: Behavioural Ecologist & Professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru. Her research includes animal behavior, mating systems in blackbuck antelope, and conservation applications.
• Kavita Isvaran will also serve as the interlocutor for the post-screening conversation.

Activity Description

This event features a screening of the documentary "Land of the Blackbuck: A Story of Hope and Resilience," which is a 23-minute film from India (2025) exploring India’s grasslands. The documentary challenges the perception of these ecosystems as "wastelands" and highlights the conservation risks to species like the blackbuck, caracal, and great Indian bustard. It weaves together ecological science, local knowledge, and cultural memory through the voices of local communities, researchers, and conservationists, questioning what is deemed worthy of protection. The film is part of a broader movement advocating for attention and responsibility towards vital ecosystems.

The screening will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Sumanth Kuduvalli and behavioral ecologist Kavita Isvaran, concluding with an audience Q&A session.

Language

English