Angel of the Aboriginals

Angel of the Aboriginals is a documentary film about the life of anthropologist and tribal activist Dr Verrier Elwin. Dr. Elwin lived and worked with the Apatani, Tagin, Nocte, Adi, Kanyak, Muri, Maria, Baiga, Bondo, Saora and Gond communities of India. Elwin came from London to India as a missionary in the 1920s. Inspired by the idealism of Mahatma Gandhi, he dedicated his whole life to communities who were neglected by the national workers and missionaries and exploited by the British Government. After independence, he advised Jawaharlal Nehru in an attempt to influence public policies that would not disrupt the lives of India’s tribal communities. For his long years of service, the Indian Government offered him citizenship and awarded him the ‘Padma Bhusan’. This 45-minute film, shot on DigiBeta, was directed by Biswajeet Bora and produced by Maya Kholie of Kholie Enterprises.