ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿಗಳು | Gubbachchigalu

Amidst the hustle-bustle of the concrete jungle of a sprawling city, two children go on a quest to find ‘their’ missing sparrow. This film Gubbacchigalu (Sparrows) takes us with the children – Ila and Anirudha – on their journey as they pursue the elusive sparrow. They set off from home with a guilt-ridden conscience that they may have been responsible for the sparrow’s disappearance. But it is their innocence and curiosity that take them on a trail of learning and discovery as they arrive at unusual places and meet unusual people. Everyone they meet says that sparrows are around but are they really there? Unable to find even a single sparrow in sight, the children’s anxiety and guilt only grows after each encounter. Do the children finally find the sparrow? The once ubiquitous sparrow is now almost an extinct species. This movie brings into sharp relief the realities of urban life, curious young minds and a dwindling biodiversity.

Directors Note

When I was a kid, sparrows were an integral part of life in the small town I lived in, Mangalore. Several years later one day I wake up to the fact that those sparrows were missing in my surroundings. World had changed too much for those little birds. The ration shops with abandon food supply for those birds were closed. Food grains were neatly packed and hidden in the shelves of super markets! The air they breathed became too polluted! The nesting places were all gone! The poor little bird which made its small home in our homes was no more welcomed! So the film, Gubbachigalu (Sparrows) is my search for those sparrows. The script is based on the original story given by my senior friend NAM Ismail. We both felt that over the time, we have started ignoring the environment around us. The film is an attempt to look in to the matter through the eyes of children.

Photo Gallery

GUBBACHIGALU

Gubbachigalu is available in DVD format with English subtitles.
(90 Minutes | DVD | Color | Mono Sound | 2008)