New feature length documentary film in production
TRAILER
Logline:
On the banks of the River Ganges, Varanasi, northern India, Dom King Om, 17, is forced by his father’s sudden death to lead his struggling community, tasked from ancient times with burning all castes of Hindu bodies but denied basic human rights as the government encroaches upon their traditional lands.
“Caste is understood through various prisms, thus making it the most misunderstood topic of dialogue on/in India. In India, casteism touches 1.35 billion people.”
— Suraj Yengde
Why ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’ Is Important
The film sheds light on the Dom community of Varanasi, a group responsible for the sacred and ancient ritual of cremating Hindu bodies. Despite their integral role in one of the most important religious rites in India, they remain marginalized and deprived of fundamental rights. ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’ explores their daily struggles, the loss of their traditional lands, and the resilience required to maintain their way of life in a rapidly changing India.
Through the lens of Dom King Om, a 17-year-old leader, we witness the personal and cultural stakes as he navigates his community’s survival and their fight for justice.
Why This is Important
Modi’s corridor project, aimed at modernizing parts of Varanasi, is having devastating effects on the Dom community and other marginalized neighborhoods. Homes are being demolished, and with them, centuries-old ways of life are being erased. As the government pushes forward with its plans, these communities are not only losing their land but also their livelihoods.
The economic toll is severe, with many families forced to leave Varanasi and relocate to areas lacking basic infrastructure. These new places often have no clean water or access to quality schools, further deepening the challenges faced by displaced families.
For children, the situation is especially dire. Many have been forced to stop attending school due to financial hardship. Girls like Veera and Bhumi are struggling to stay in school, unable to pay the fees necessary to continue their education, putting their futures at risk. The corridor project is not just reshaping the city, it is tearing apart lives and opportunities for the next generation.
DIRECTOR ATIN MEHRA’S CONNECTION & ACCESS:
For too long the gaze of documentary storytellers has originated from beyond the communities whose stories are being told. Although neither of the Dom nor of any Dalit caste, I was born and raised in Varanasi, India, playing as a child with children of the Nishaad and Dom communities along the ghats of the Ganges River. I have early memories of Dom Raja dating from age 7 when I would accompany my grandfather to visit Dom Raja’s father, then King of the Dom community. My own father died when I was 10, forcing me to work in a factory to become the main provider for my mother and two younger siblings. It is through this shared experience that I feel especially connected to Om, having also been forced to quit formal education to begin work. I believe I am the best filmmaker to tell this story because of my close relationship and collaboration with Dom Raja up until his untimely death, his son Om and their community. With increasingly tight government restrictions in place to keep cameras and news crews away from this ancient part of the city, my access to the community and within this sacred space is rare and allows me to capture intimate stories that would not otherwise be possible for the world to see.
Urgent Appeal to Help Us Complete ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’
We are at a critical moment in the production of ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’, a film that tells the story of a marginalized community in Varanasi, India, who are being displaced and silenced by the current government. Under Modi’s administration, media control has tightened, and journalists who dare to speak the truth are being jailed.
This film is our chance to break through that silence. But to finish the next phase of shooting and edit a rough cut for submission to a major network, we urgently need to raise funds.
Time is running out—the livelihoods of these communities are being destroyed as their traditional lands are taken away. If we don’t complete this film soon, their stories may never be told, and the damage could be irreversible.
We are thrilled to announce that top networks has expressed interest in our feature documentary, ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’. We are at a crucial stage in production and need your support to complete the film and deliver a rough cut for their review. This is a rare opportunity to share this powerful and untold story with a global audience.
How Your Support Will Make an Impact
With media suppression and escalating threats to free speech, ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’ has the potential to create international awareness and bring global attention to the injustices these communities are facing. This film could be one of the few platforms left to hold the government accountable for its actions and put a spotlight on the struggles of those most affected.
Your Donation is Tax-Deductible
In addition to helping complete a film that could spark international attention and potentially stop further damage to these marginalized communities, your donation is also tax-deductible.
We Need Your Help Now
This is not just a film—it is a call to action. ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’ has the power to expose the truth that the government is trying to bury. Your support will allow us to finish this urgent work and ensure the world sees what is happening.
Without your help, these stories may never be told. Please make a donation to help us complete the next round of shooting and editing, so we can submit this film to a major network and start a conversation that could change lives.
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Om Chaudhary
DOM KING
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Jamuna Devi
MATRIARCH OF THE CREMATION GROUNDS
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Shakti Chaudhary
LAWYER & COMMUNITY ADVOCATE
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Veera & Bhumi Chaudhary
3rd & 4th GRADERS
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Prof. Vishwambhar Nath Mishra
PRESIDENT OF GANGA ACTION PLAN
FILMMAKERS:
Atin Mehra and Mae Thornton Mehra are an award-winning husband/wife duo who have been producing social justice and impact driven films together for over 15 years at ORANGE KITE PRODUCTIONS. Atin’s directorial debut BEING MICHELLE (2022), continues to screen to sold-out audiences around the country & world and has accumulated numerous awards. The powerful character driven film about a Deaf woman with autism who survived incarceration and abuse and now uses her artwork to depict the trauma she survived and heal from her past is changing the way Deaf and Disabled people are treated in social and criminal justice systems in the U.S. and globally. BEING MICHELLE is a Firelight Media Impact & International Documentary Association NAI grantee recipient.
Atin was born and raised in Varanasi, India where his own struggles with abuse and discrimination drew him to stories of marginalized individuals and communities. Mae pulls from her background as an oral historian and filmmaker and met Atin while studying Hindi/Urdu in Varanasi in 2004. She continues her efforts to achieve near-fluency in the languages. Both Mae and Atin pride themselves on openly creative collaboration between film participants and diverse production teams, where they believe impact begins within the filmmaking process itself. In 2020, the film team co-founded the nonprofit THRIVING ROOTS INITIATIVE to further their work of social impact documentary filmmaking.
Thriving Roots Initiative believes in equality for children and all human beings. We harness the power of storytelling to serve as a catalyst to protect, strengthen and sustain marginalized populations.
CONTACT: mae@thrivingrootsinitiative.org
“Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”
— Mark Twain
Join Us in Preserving a Cultural Legacy
By supporting ‘Eternal Fire Keepers’, you are contributing to the preservation of a culture under threat, as well as amplifying the voices of those fighting for recognition and survival. This film will inspire dialogue around social justice, human rights, and the impact of “so-called” modernization on traditional communities.
Thank you for being part of this journey and helping us
bring this important story to the world.
