DOCUMENTING COEXISTENCE: A STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL NARRATIVES IN DOCUMENTARY FILMS THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS AND ALL THAT BREATHES

Tannu Priya; Krishna Sankar Kusuma; Pragati Paul

doi:10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i2s.2026.7063

Authors

Tannu Priya Student, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India
Krishna Sankar Kusuma Professor, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India
Pragati Paul Assistant Professor, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i2s.2026.7063

Keywords:

Environmental Documentaries, Human–Wildlife Relationships, Ecological Narratives, Climate Change, Coexistence

Abstract [English]

The Study explores the growing importance of environmental documentaries in fostering dialogue, influencing public consciousness, and documenting the fragile threads of coexistence in an age of ecological uncertainty. The research examines environmental narratives embedded in two critically acclaimed Indian documentary films, The Elephant Whisperers (2022) directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and All That Breathes (2022) directed by Shaunak Sen. Set against the backdrop of India’s rapidly evolving ecological and socio-political landscape, the study investigates how these documentaries depict the complex relationship between humans and non-human life forms, and how they reflect broader environmental concerns such as climate change, species adaptation, coexistence, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. Using a qualitative methodology that includes thematic film analysis, interviews with audiences, and an interview with director Shaunak Sen along with some other documentary filmmakers, the research examines the affective strategies used to portray environmental realities. Audience responses reinforce the impact of these films in raising awareness, evoking empathy, and challenging conventional perceptions of environmental crises. By situating these films within the larger discourse of environmental communication and media ecology, the study argues that through the portrayal of human-wildlife relationships, documentaries play a crucial role in showcasing various environmental issues.

Author Biographies

Tannu Priya, Student, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India

Tannu Priya is currently working as a Program Associate (Communications & CSR) and has experience in development communication, CSR reporting, and media outreach. She has worked with organizations such as People to People Health Foundation and Tata Power Trading Co. Ltd., contributing to programme monitoring, impact documentation, digital content creation, and stakeholder engagement. A Gold Medalist in M.A. Development Communication from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, her academic interests include strategic communication, behaviour change campaigns, and development-oriented media research.

Krishna Sankar Kusuma, Professor, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India

Krishna Sankar Kusuma is currently working as Professor at AJKMCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia. He has more than two decades of academic experience. He teaches Mobile Storytelling, South Indian Cinema, New Media Storytelling, Mobile AR, VR, i-doc, Video Production, Street theater, Traditional Media. He is actively producing e-content and MOOCs, conducting training for teachers on designing e-content across India. He was also in charge of the CEC-UGC Educational programme production & MOOC’s. Earlier he worked at CEDEC in Orissa, Tezpur university, Assam, and College of Applied Sciences at Sultanate of Oman.

Pragati Paul, Assistant Professor, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India

Pragati Paul is an Assistant Professor at the A.J.K. Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, where she also serves as the Programme Coordinator for the M.A. in Development Communication. With over a decade of experience in teaching, research, and media training, her academic interests lie in development communication, participatory media, media literacy, youth engagement, and communication for social change. Her practice-based research explores the use of interactive games, performance, and edutainment as tools for community engagement and empowerment. She has contributed to curriculum design, including MOOCs and postgraduate programmes, and has presented her work at national and international forums such as UNESCO and IAMCR, while actively engaging in communication strategies and media initiatives addressing social issues.

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