Anand Patwardhan was born to film. During his weekend-long visit to Wellesley College to show his documentaries, I accompanied him to a rehearsal for one of our acappella singing groups. Five minutes into their rendition of “My Immortal,” Mr. Patwardhan took out his video camera and didn’t put it away until the “performance” ended an hour and a half later.

The Wellesley College Association for South Asian cultures recently sponsored a four-day film festival inviting the community to view his films and hear him speak at an opening reception, and for an intimate lunch and culminating keynote address.

Arguably the most significant social/political documentary filmmaker in India, Patwardhan has opened the eyes of countless viewers to issues involving housing rights for the urban poor, for communal harmony, the environment, movements against the Narmada Dam and unsustainable development. Patwardhan’s most recent release, Jang aur Aman (War and Peace) involves nuclear testing in South Asia and has won critical acclaim around the world.

Jang aur Aman, filmed over three years in India, Pakistan, Japan and the US, phenomenally documents the global political tension as well as endeavors for peace. According to Patwardhan, “a country who should have and did celebrate Gandhian nonviolence has turned into a country [engaged in] nuclear madness.” Through moving personal narratives and unique captivating footage, the audience can’t help but leave the movie incredibly sympathetic to and knowledgeable about the situation. During a radio interview at Wellesley, he said of the movie “anything could go wrong and we could have a nuclear holocaust in the region. The tragedy is that both India and Pakistan look to the US as a big brother and America sets a very bad example for us because they have the most nuclear weapons in the world.”

The Film festival also showcased a number of award-winning previous films such as In the Name of God, Father, Son and Holy War, Narmada Diary and Bombay, many of which were banned by major Indian television channels. Patwardhan, in his lunch talk with Wellesley students and staff, revealed that he is still challenging censorship rulings (he has been successful previously) in court in an endless fight to get his films shown to larger audiences.

Ideas for new films come from the climate surrounding him, “ they are about social and political events that matter to the world, I think. they should. A lot of my films are about the rising fundamentalism in India, the negative impact of globalization also-these are issues which are much larger than me.” He has always been aware of his environment, he has worked on the anti-Vietnam War movement and the Caesar Chavez United Farm Worker’s Union among others. Looking at the world now he comments, “…the rate at which countries like India are losing their natural resources to multinational corporations is phenomenal.”

Is Anand Patwardhan an idealist? He says, “I guess so…I mean I don’t view myself that much, I’m not that self conscious. I’m also extremely privileged.” After spending a weekend with him, I think he keeps it simpler than that: “[my films are] not made for anybody really or rather for everybody. They’re born most of the time out of some feelings of depression or upset that I have. I’d rather be doing nothing but when things get really bad I make a film.”

Patwardhan does not make documentaries for money or fame; in fact it’s for his “psychological well-being” if you ask him. He does not accept grants or donations in an effort to maintain ownership of his work and fully funds his endeavors with proceeds and honorariums. What came across in his keynote address, Cinema as a Medium of Social Change in South Asia, as well as throughout the weekend is simple: he has a deep love for his country and a large intolerance for injustice in the world.

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