7-year-old points to brighter future

When 7-year-old Ishi runs along a mountain path, cuts out a funny face in dough and jumps into her father’s arms, I fall totally in love. When she holds up the solar panel that lights her home and cooks her food, I cheer. Ishi is the pint-sized star of Nitin Das’s Superhero, a short film that may change more hearts than Al Gore.

Superhero is the 2011 Grand Award Winner in the Possible Futures Film Contest, sponsored by The Pachamama Alliance, and FOUR YEARS. GO. Contest entries came from 44 countries. Nitin’s film won the top spot out of 317.

He was a brand manager for India Today before leaving the corporate sector to follow his passion. Superhero and A Tale of 3 Bananas: A Story of War, Politics and Bananas are two small samples of this gifted filmmaker’s ability to use humor and whimsy to carry a serious message.

Nitin shot “Superhero” in the village of Kaaza, in the remote Himalayan desert of India’s Spiti Valley. The film’s message is simple: Ishi “is doing her bit to save the planet even though she is only 7 years old. How old are you?”

Both Superhero and the second-place winner, Smooch, fulfill the contest’s challenge “to create a new vision for the future of humanity—one that will become defined by our relationships to human justice, environmental sustainability, peace and individual fulfillment.”

But don’t stop with these two inspiring film. All of the entries are online and every one of them will give you hope.

Superhero from Possible Futures Film Contest on Vimeo.

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Photo from Superhero by Nitin Das

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Winn A.

5:01PM PDT on Aug 15, 2011

You go girl. Great story.

send a green star

Jane L.

8:12PM PDT on Aug 14, 2011

When I look at the simpleness of Ishi's life in contrast to my busy one, caught up in everyday stresses of work and such, I am reminded of how much I appreciate the simpler, quiet ways of living.

Mary L.

6:08PM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

Debbie W. "unwanted" children are either aborted or abandoned shortly after birth. Ishi is safe.

Over population is in part caused by lack of education and job opportunity. It is a crisis that is being exacerbated by the global weather disaster. I have no solution to the problems only hope.

Suzanne H.

4:46PM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

I applaud this film..............If only world goverments And Industry would get it!

Wendy L.

2:11PM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

Go Ishi! Solar power panels should be on every structure world wide.

Anni W.

12:37PM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

Wonderful! Truely a beautiful child! We could all do better to follow her lead!

Robert O.

11:55AM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

Great story!

Ernest R.

11:46AM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

@ Grace A Can anyone deny that humans are contributing to resource depletion ? It isn’t ” just a matter of scaling up to commercial production” It is a matter of scaling back insane population growth. What does it take for this to be recognized ? They have still not figured it out in west Africa. Our turn is on the way..

Anya G.

10:55AM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

Very sweet

Suzanne M.

10:41AM PDT on Aug 13, 2011

Love the still shot-too bad I can't see the video-alas-no mobile version. @Elena B: I agree wholeheartedly-it starts with us! Fresh air and sunshine, all!