We made this documentary “shit” in November 2003 about Mariyammal, a dalit worker who is involved in manual scavenging for the past 25 years. It was made in Tamil with English subtitles and it runs for 26 minutes. It was shot in Mini DV format and edited with using Adobe Premiere. The whole budget of the production is Rs.10,000/-(Rupess ten thousand only).
The film shows Mariyammal sharing her anger and frustration to the filmmaker while cleaning a street that is full of shit adjecent to a hindu temple in Madurai.
The film does not have background commentary and music. It does not have any one else except Mariyammal. No intellectual opinions, no slogans and no sum ups.
The film was well received and is being well used in and around Tamilnadu by various groups, institutions, movements and trade unions to create a debate on manual scavenging, human rights, dalit people and health and civic facilities.
Over 300 copies of VCD’s have been distributed till now.
The film also received critical appreciations by getting awards both within and outside Tamilnadu. It was selected and shown at Jeevika 2004 festival in New Delhi. Recently it got the best documentary award at the ‘One Billion Eye – Indian documentary festival 2005 in Chennai.
But there are other successes for the film as follows
Firstly the commissioner of Madurai municipal corporation lost his promotion.
Secondly the issue and the film became a news in local newspapers.
Thirdly the movement against manual scavenging organised by Adhi Tamilar Pervai used this film as a campaign material.
Mariyammal became a symbol of campaign against manual scavenging that popular magazines used her photos for any story related to manual scavenging.
And finally Mariyammal got releived of the shit work and she is now a sweeper working with Madurai municipal corporation. She no longer cleans and carries shit, and she claims it is only because of the film and the campaign it has raised.
The street that is shown in the film is shut down now by the Madurai municipal corporation.
Certainly we Marupakkam (The other side in Tamil), a media activist group based in Madurai, involved in making issue based documentaries, organising regular screenings, video festivals and workshop find this experience as very positive and we thought it would be good to share it with Indymedia.
For more information:
Amudhan R.P.
C 5/2 K.K. Nagar
Madurai 625 020 India
Phone: 091-09344156392; 091-0452-253992
e-mail :
amudhanrp@rediffmail.com; amudhanrp@yahoo.com