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Short documentary film of South Indian banker J S Parthibhan shown on Channel 4 TV, UK

Three-minute film about Indian banker JS Parthiban shown on Channel 4 TV, UK.

Every weekday evening Channel 4 TV in the UK broadcasts a short three-minute film, under the series entitled 'three minute wonder', immediately after the main evening news. On Thursday 14 January, 2010 the 'three minute wonder' was about South Indian banker J S Parthibhan and his work to provide micro-credit to the villagers of Tamil Nadu.

The film is called 'Banking on Change' and is a short extract from a prize-winning 15-minute documentary film of Parthibhan shot last December by film producer and director Andrew Hinton of Pilgrim Films, London, on behalf of IofC India. The cameraman is Eric Trometer. 

'Banking on Change' was selected for broadcast after being one of four winners out of 200 entrants in a 4Doc's and The Cooperative - three minute wonder competition. Channel 4’s voice-over introduction to the film said, ‘How opening a bank account can change your life.’

Two-thirds of India’s population of a billion people live in the nation’s 800,000 villages. Despite India’s economic growth, the disparities between wealth and poverty are huge. Many villagers migrate to the cities in search of work and end up begging on the streets. South Indian bank manager J S Parthiban set out to do something to help their economic circumstances. He encouraged beggars to open bank accounts in New Delhi, and pioneered micro-loans to villagers in his home state of Tamil Nadu.

An encounter with Initiatives of Change as a University student changed the course of  J S Parthiban's life. With the help of his family he has followed his convictions, using his position as a bank manager to bring about change for those who need it most. This is his story - and theirs.

This film is the first of four short documentaries planned, highlighting people making a difference in India. 

Article language

English

Article type
Article year
2010
Publishing permission
Granted
Publishing permission refers to the rights of FANW to publish the full text of this article on this website.
Article language

English

Article type
Article year
2010
Publishing permission
Granted
Publishing permission refers to the rights of FANW to publish the full text of this article on this website.