The Poetics of Land is the result of Marc Hatzfeld's personal
journey of discovery where West Bengal became a microcosm
in his attempts to understand the mythic notions of land in
the context of globalised development. It was first conceived
in 2008 when Marc was living in Calcutta and became involved
in the debates triggered by the dramatic events of Nandigram
concerning landless peasants and sharecroppers who fought
for their survival on the land where they had lived for
centuries - a land coveted by industrial projects for the sake of
development. Over the next six years, Marc interviewed West
Bengali farmers, poets, corporate executives, economists,
artists, filmmakers, writers, activists and politicians. What
emerged is a fascinating look into the conflict between the
ideas of growth and development which is both timely and
relevant.
