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The (Untold) Copper Story

May 22 – 2018 witnessed havoc in Tuticorin (Thoothukudi), an otherwise buzzing industrial port town in Coastal Tamil Nadu, India. Protests against a copper smelter plant left a trail of destruction, when the police opened fire on the protesters, killed 13 people and left 102 injured. The Tuticorin firing echoed with questions that reverberated far and wide. What were the profound effects of this incident on India’s Copper self-sufficiency, economy, Industrial growth, local ecosystem, human sentiments, environment, and health of the local populace?

This documentary gives a panoramic view of the prevalent situation through the voices of the local traders including fishermen, truck drivers, farmers, heads of different associations, labour force, industry leaders, Pollution control board, National Green Tribunal, and the International Copper association.

  • Latha Krishna
    Director
  • Latha Krishna
    Writer
  • Dr. Mohana Krishnaswamy
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    27 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 30, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    full HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Latha Krishna

www.lathakrishna.com
From Corporate, Industrial and Training videos to long research-based documentaries on abstract topics such as Vedic astrology and Vaastu Shastra, Latha has handled a very wide genre, winning several awards and accolades in the process, with many of her films shown in international festivals.

Latha’s international awards include 'Best Social message' and 'Best Environmental film' for the film 'The Untold Copper Story' in 2025; ‘Best Research’ award for her film ‘Vedic-GPS’ at the First Hermetic International Film Festival, Venice in 2021; ‘Cannes Corporate Media and TV Award’ for her film ‘A Different Language’ in 2018; and two ‘Creative Excellence Awards’ at the US International Film & Video Festival, Illinois, in 1995 and 1999; a nomination for ‘Best Drama’ for her film ‘My Dream’ at the Cannes Shorts, in 2022.

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Director Statement

This was a complicated case of industry versus environment, hugely affected by political interests as well. Even as legal proceedings were happening in the supreme court, we were at the site filming. We filmed the opinions of people from varied walks of life in and around Tuticorin extensively – locals including farmers, fisherfolk as it is a coastal town, truck drivers, people injured by the firing incident, small scale industries dependent on the plant, employees of Sterlite copper, allied industry professionals, medical professionals, weather specialists, chemical consultants, heads of Pollution control board, International Copper association and members of the National Green Tribunal. As the copper plant was shut due to a court order we had to rely on available stock footage of the plant in working condition.

We have made an earnest attempt to probe into complexities, venturing into areas that were still volatile when we were filming, with the intention of unraveling a panoramic view of the situation.