PEEPAL TREE PREDICTS AN END TO TREES = END OF THE HUMAN RACE
When the film begins, a man (played by director Kranti Kanadé) is annoyed that government officials (police) living nearby are cutting down trees on his land. Not until the very end of Peepal Tree is the screen filled with examples of trees that have been cut and left in a morgue-like condition throughout Pune, a town in India. Between the beginning and the end, a variety of beautiful trees are pictured, including banyan and of course the sacred Peepal, the tree under which Buddha, while meditating, attained his enlightenment.
A verbal confrontation with police leads nowhere: The man accuses police of violating the law by cutting down trees, and police claim that he has violated the law by planting trees on government property. Ultimately, the man locates a tree activist (Vinay Sharma), who has gone to court to stop tree cutting, and they try to mobilize local residents on behalf of their cause. But there are not enough court cases to stop massive tree slaughter to make way for shopping malls.
During the story, based on actual events, many wise statements are made. For example, one person notes that trees are claimed to stand in the way of “development,” but true development is an increase in rational behavior. Another comment is that government is for 10% of the people and not for the rest. Trees not only bring food and shade but nurture an ecosystem of animal life, food, fresh air, healing, and water while removing CO2 from an endangered planet.
The Political Film Society has nominated Peepal Tree as best film exposé of 2021. MH