360° – Geo Reportage
Majuli: An Island Defies the Floods

TV reportage

Production
Medienkontor for Arte
2011

Directed by
Andrea Oster

Format
HD 1080/25P 16:9

Length
52 min.

Tech specs
Sony DVW 790 DigiBeta

The Brahmaputra is one of the most powerful rivers in the world. It originates in Tibet and flows into the Ganges. At some points, it can be up to 30km wide. An earthquake in 1950 changed its course and since then the river has flooded the island of Majuli—the largest river island in the world—every summer during the monsoon season. Over the past 60 years, Majuli has lost about one-third of its land area. During major flooding in 1998 and 2008, several villages were swept away.

150,000 people still live on Majuli and its numerous smaller islands. Most of them work as farmers or fishermen. Those who lose their homes and land to the floods usually move in with relatives. Forecasts predict that in 20 years, nothing will remain of Majuli, but the island’s inhabitants place their hopes less in government aid than in the help of the gods. Some parents are even willing to give one of their children to one of Majuli’s 22 monasteries. This “sacrifice” is believed to protect the people from misfortune.

The film follows the first steps of four-year-old Lohit on his journey from his parents’ farm to the monastery—from farm boy to child monk. Will he accept Dinonath Baruah as a surrogate father? Twenty years ago, Baruah himself entered the monastery as a small child. It is now his task to train the young novice.

Arte press release