Bhubaneswar-based journalist and filmmaker Basudev Mahapatra’s documentary The War for Steel has been selected for screening at the South Korean Festival NeMaf-2013.
The documentary speaks about the South Korean steel producer Posco’s mega project in Odisha, which has landed in a zone of war between people and their elected Government.
The project has made least progress in last eight years since signing of the company’s Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government in June 2005 as many local villagers are strongly opposing it on the ground that it would adversely affect the marine ecology and, above all, a sustainable agrarian economy that
has offered ample opportunities to thousands of families for a good, or at least, standard living.
The State, by using its police forces, is engaged in curbing the democratic struggle of the villagers.
While the project is described as the biggest in India and Korea, the local communities consider it as the biggest curse to them and their future generations, Mahapatra’s film depicts.
After the selection of his documentary for screening at NeMaf, Mahapatra said, “It’s a great feeling for me and a good thing for all of us.