Meghna Haldar: Dirt goes hand-in-hand with the sacred

A poster of the film

Q. Why did you choose a subject like dirt for the eponymous 2008 documentary?
A. Dirt is an introspective essay film. I like to use metaphors as a way to see the world. After 9/11, I began to see dirt as a metaphor for otherness. The definition of dirt is ‘matter out of place' and I began to wonder how that might translate into human beings who are considered dirty. For me, dirt goes hand-in-hand with the sacred; I see it as part of a continuum, inherent to the human condition.

Meghna Haldar

While the film was made in 2008, I asked the NFB (National Film Board of Canada, the producers) to renew the licenses so that I could show it in India (this marks the first screening in Mumbai). With the National Cleanliness Campaign, I felt it was an apt time to show the film here and listen to the conversations that unfold.

Q. Where have you shot the documentary?
A. I shot in Texas where I first felt the taint of ‘otherness' post 9/11. Gradually, I travelled to other places like Kolkata (where I filmed the Durga Puja) and Delhi (where I met a toilet cleaner) and later, in New York (where I met the sanitation artiste and filmed at Ground Zero and a landfill). In Vancouver, I shot in the downtown areas, which are considered dirty because they are overrun by the weakest and impoverished. I also shot in New Mexico where dirt is considered to have healing properties. Unfortunately, Mumbai is not a part of the documentary because I was not familiar with the city during the shooting process.

A poster of the film

Q. How did you make the film visually appealling?
A. I shot on Super 16mm film for the most part because of its material. Film is subject to decay. Dust and dirt stick to it. I wanted to treat dirt visually like one would treat perfume or beauty because like death, it is our one constant companion in life.