When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

- REYA MEHROTRA

One only needs to look at the living root bridges of Meghalaya to know that the Khasi tribe has a special relationship with nature. Nowhere in the world, arguably, would one see such mastery of nature-based architecture. The bridges, made of intertwining aerial roots of two trees, first appeared in a written record more than 100 years ago. Ever since, curiosity about these structures has only grown.

And so, filmmaker Avi Kabir set out to Dawki. In his upcoming film Entangled Lives, Kabir captures the intricate relationship between the Khasi people and living root bridges. The New York-based filmmaker and writer, an alumnus of the New York University, says his intention in capturing the lives of the Khasi people is rooted in a fascination with how their culture embodies an intricate dialogue between science and storytelling. Here, community wisdom and practical engineering meet in a poetic and rigorously functional way. “In their predominantly oral tradition, folktales and songs serve not only as a means of getting the community together, but also as vessels for complex ecological and engineering principles,” he says. “For instance, what might sound like a story about an ‘angry river’ carries nuanced teachings on climate change, sustainability and design.”

The film follows a young girl called Aati and her grandmother as they face the challenges of crossing a river.