Analysis Of Slumming It By Kevin Macleod

What is your perspective of a slum? Kevin Macleod explores ideas of what the dharavi slums are like, in Slumming it. He perceives the slums as a disgusting, nauseating and a disease ridden place, however in Let There Be Light, Kat Kimmorley, the co-founder of pollinate industry is trying to provide hope for the residents living in the area. Both have prominent voices in their documentaries but most of the voices of Dharavi people have been silenced.

In slumming it, Kevin perspective of Dharavi is presented in the opening sequence of the documentary. It is employed through a close up shot of a needle being pushed into Kevin Macleod’s arm while the doctor lists various diseases, which implies the slums being a particularly unhygienic and diseases ridden. Kevin’s point of view on Dharavi also contradicts the notions of architects, planners and even Prince Charles’ who claim that Dharavi has a strong sense of community, high employment and little crime. Prince Charles’ voice implies this through his statement “even though Dharavi may be poorer in material terms, they are in many senses infinitely richer in the ways they live.” Prince Charles’ speech prompts Kevin to discover for himself why Dharavi would be the answer to anyone’s problems.

Disease and sanitation is a major issue in Dharavi.

It’s established in the first scenes of the slums through the use of wide shots of the closely built houses packed amongst the piles of waste as well close up shots of open sewers, rats, piles of rubbish and people defecating everywhere. This concept of slums being disgusting, nauseating and disease ridden is alluded, which connects the audience to the universal presumption of a slum as a dirty environment and It makes you wonder how normal human could be living in such an

place.

The Frog of the Well is a Chinese proverb which tells of “a frog that lived down in a well. All the frog knew was the patch of the sky above him, but the frog was happy because it did not know anything better. The moral of the story is: Some ignorant people know nothing aside from their own world. The situations of the slum dwellers is almost parallel to the situation of the frog. The perspectives of the people living in the slums is shaped by the environment they have grown up in. “Do you accept this as right?” Kevin asks Rajash, the tour guide. He believes it is right Because the slum dwellers have never seen outside Dharavi for generations and believe that this is the only way of living therefore they are consequently quite happy with it. But from your perspective, Is this really right?

Within Let There Be Light, Kat Kimmorley, the co-founder of pollinate industry, has decided to assist slums in India through a safe and simple solution, the Pollinate Solar Light. She passionately states that these lights provide destitute families with a safe and sustainable alternative to kerosene which may produce toxic gasses. These can equal smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day and are the second largest killer of women and children across India. Close ups of a candle symbolises the pollinate energy bringing a new light or prospect to the families who own one.

Slumming it explores living in Dharavi with Kevin Mcleod. His idea of Dharavi is established through various close up shots of needles, rats and crowded areas. The opinion from Slumming It conveys the concept that slums are dirty and disease ridden. Whilst, Let There be light provides a way to help slum communities to improve their living conditions. Both Slumming it and Let there Be light gave Perspective into the sums of India.