ThefdZone on 14 08 2015 Raja Shabir , Filmmaker shares his experience

THE 157th EDITION OF "THEfdZONE" (Part II)
Of Silence, Shepherds and Angels. Three Films By Raja Shabir Khan
The Programme:
broken, SILENCE
2006/ 23 mins/ DV/ SRFTI
As part of his documentary project at his film school, Raja Shabir explores an intensely personal story about his family.
SHEPHERDS OF PARADISE
2012/ 52 mins/ HD/ Asia Pitch Winner & Raja Shabir Khan
Best Feature Documentary 2013 @ Jeevika Film Festival
60th National Award for Best Film and Cinematography
Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large flock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. An already difficult journey of nearly 200 miles done by foot in just 21 days, Gafoor faces the added challenges of military checkpoints and impenetrable terrain in blinding winter conditions. At 75 years old, Gafoor also leads his family in a way of life that the young seem less and less interested in following.
Raja Shabir, 'It was a very challenging task to film Shepherds of Paradise because of the tough terrain, rough weather, long journey and limited resources. We followed the shepherds on foot all along their traditional hilly tracks of about 300 km. On the way, the habitants of the militancy infested areas, who had never seen a movie camera before, thought it was a machine gun and reported to the police about us as militants with arms. The police let us go only after thorough checking of our baggage and equipment.
The horse carrying our equipment skidded and broke the solar charger. This limited our shooting hours so I had to use the camera judiciously to save my batteries. This had both positive and negative effects; positive in the sense that we didn't have to go through a lot of footage in the editing process, but negative in the sense that it reduced the choice of selection of shots.
The last leg of the journey was extremely difficult. The weather on the mountains deteriorated abruptly; the wind was very strong and icy. Our feet and hands went numb. Every one of us including the shepherds had to struggle for the survival.'
Trailer: • Video
ANGELS OF TROUBLED PARADISE
2012/ 23 mins/ Colour/ SRFTI
Winning Story at Asia Pitch, Special Jury Mention Siliguri Film Festival, Screened Jeevika Film Festival.
Many children in Kashmir, some of whose fathers have been killed, arrested, or are missing, are forced to help their families survive. One such boy is Aadil, who lives with his parents in an area referred to as the "Gaza Strip" of Kashmir. He collects tear gas shells fired by police at protesters and sells them to a scrap dealer. Because the scrap dealer won't accept the shells unless they are cleared of the explosive material, he must often remove the detonator and take out the explosives from the shells by hand. There is always the danger of it exploding, but as Aadil says, "I prefer to die bravely collecting shells rather than dying of hunger."
Raja Shabir, 'I spent almost three years on making "Angels of Troubled Paradise". Because of the nature and theme of the film, I faced a tough time while shooting it. The security scenario demanded extreme care and caution and it was not advisable to move with a full fledged crew. I basically had to make it a one man crew, which actually ended up helping me move more freely. Adil, the main character whom I followed, would call me whenever there were protests and I would go with my camera, without bothering to organise my team. Being in close association with Adil, his family and his friends, I practically experienced firsthand the truth behind the adage "survival of the fittest" as children like Adil know it best.'
Trailer: • Video