India’s Circularity – Not a Trend, But a Tradition from the Margins, 70min., India
Directed by Purva Tavri
Across India’s overlooked margins, India’s Circularity – Not a Trend, But a Tradition from the Margins reveals how reuse, repair, and regeneration are not innovations—but inherited ways of life rooted in culture, necessity, and care. Featuring voices across sectors—artists, makers, NGO leaders, entrepreneurs, government officials, planners, engineers, institutions, and homemakers—the film journeys through terracotta clusters in Rajasthan, bamboo-timber homes in Sikkim, palm-leaf artisans in Kerala, and community commons in Chhattisgarh. One story is deeply personal: the director’s mother, whose regenerative practices shaped the director’s own circular worldview long before her professional work in sustainability. With poetic narration, immersive visuals, and grounded research, the film reframes circularity as a lived tradition, not a future policy aspiration.

https://www.instagram.com/drpurvatavri

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

What motivated me was a deep discomfort with how the circular economy is being talked about globally—as if it’s something new, something to be invented.

I come from India, where I’ve seen people live circularity every single day—not as a concept, but as survival, culture, and wisdom. And yet, these communities are invisible in mainstream narratives.

This film became my way of correcting that. Of saying—we don’t need to reinvent the future, we need to remember what already exists.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

In many ways, this film took a lifetime.

But in its physical form—from the moment the idea crystallised to now—it has taken about 3 years of deeply immersive work. I also published a book, and this is based on it – “India’s Circular Economy in Action – Learnings from Tradition and Margins”.

It wasn’t just filmmaking—it was unlearning, listening, travelling, and building trust with communities whose stories are rarely told with dignity.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Remembered Futures

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest challenge was not technical—it was systemic.

We were telling stories that don’t fit dominant narratives of “progress.” In many cases, what we were documenting is actively being erased in the name of development.

Convincing people that these are not “backward practices” but advanced ecological intelligence—that was the real challenge.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Honestly, it was emotional.

Because when audiences start recognising themselves in the film and see how it is essential in current uncertainties, that’s when I know the film has done its job.

It’s no longer my story. It becomes ours.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Quite late, actually.

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a filmmaker. I was an environmental researcher and academic.

But there came a point where I realised—data and reports were not enough — and I decided to write the book, which was my husband’s idea. At that moment, I thought: if I want people to feel, to connect, to rethink—I need storytelling.

And cinema became the most powerful medium for that.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Interestingly, not one specific film—but I’ve revisited many documentaries that focus on human stories and lived realities.

I’m drawn to films that are quiet, observational, and honest—where the story unfolds without being forced.

That has deeply influenced how I approached this film.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Festivals can play a much deeper role beyond showcasing films—by becoming bridges between storytellers and the ecosystems that sustain storytelling.

For filmmakers like myself, working on stories from the margins, the real challenge begins after the screening. What would make a transformative difference is creating stronger, more intentional pathways to broadcasters, streaming platforms, and impact investors.

Not just networking in a general sense, but curated connections—spaces where our work is understood, where conversations can lead to distribution, co-production, or funding opportunities.

Because for many of us, the goal is not just to make one film—but to continue uncovering hidden stories that matter. And that requires reinvestment.

If festivals can help enable those connections, they don’t just support a film—they sustain a movement.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway has been incredibly useful in opening global access.

As an independent filmmaker, especially working across countries, it gives visibility and reach that would otherwise be very difficult.

That said, cost structures can still be a barrier for independent creators—but overall, it’s been an enabling platform.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Simple, home-cooked food.

There’s something deeply grounding about it—it reflects the same philosophy as the film: local, seasonal, minimal waste, and full of care.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes—this is just the beginning.

The next film is “India’s Circularity – The Slum Lens.”

It will explore urban informal settlements—not as places of poverty, but as some of the most advanced circular systems in the world.

Because if we truly want to understand sustainability, we have to look where the world is not looking.