Tamil Nadu CM Stalin presents Oscar-winning director Kartiki Gonsalves Rs 1 crore cheque
Mar 21, 2023
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 21 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin handed over the cheque of Rupees 1 crore to the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves as a token of appreciation at the Secretariat on Tuesday morning.
CM Stalin felicitated Kartiki with a memento and a shawl.
Produced by Gunnet Monga and directed by Kartiki, the documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' won the Oscar in the 'Best Documentary Short Film' category beating 'Haul Out,' 'How Do You Measure A Year?' 'The Martha Mitchell Effect,' and 'Stranger At The Gate'.
The documentary is a heartwarming story of an indigenous couple who have been given an orphaned elephant, Raghu to look after. The story follows the couple's journey as they relentlessly work to ensure Raghu's recovery and survival. The documentary beautifully stitches the tale of how the couple falls in love with the majestic creature over the course of time.
Set against the background of life in the wild spaces of South India, 'The Elephant Whisperers' highlights the beauty of exotic wildlife and the bond between man and animal.
In her winning speech, Gonsalves said, "I stand here today to speak on the sacred bond between us and our natural world. For the respect of indigenous communities. For entity towards other living beings, we share our space with. And finally for co-existence. Thank you to the academy for recognizing our film highlighting indigenous people and animals. To Netflix for believing in the power of this film. To Guneet my Producer and my entire team and finally, to my mother father and sister who are up there somewhere, you're the centre of my universe. To my motherland India."
