Responsible Consumption and Production | Lakshmi
DIR. LAKSHMI VIDYASAGAR
DOP | LIGHTING DESIGN
2021 — Digital Cinema · 4:3 Aspect Ratio · 1536p
2021
Produced at the National Institute of Design as a creative investigation into UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, this PSA reimagines consumer responsibility not through guilt, but affection. Framed as a love letter to outgrown and worn garments, the film treats every frayed hem, loose stitch, and scuffed sneaker as a treasured memory—promising to repurpose rather than discard.
Most environmental campaigns lean on shame or statistical catastrophe. In this public service announcement directed by Lakshmi Vidyasagar, the relationship between owner and object is recast as a tender farewell letter. Outgrown dresses, lonesome socks, and scuffed canvas shoes are remembered for their warmth and service before being prepared for their second life.
The film’s voiceover frames sustainable action as an act of gratitude rather than sacrifice: “My promise to you and my promise to Mother Nature: I will not discard but I will repurpose.”
As DOP, Amal Zen designed a visual approach centered on the physical memory woven into everyday textiles:
- Macro Fiber & Texture: The camera leans into extreme close-ups—capturing the loose weave of worn cotton, distressed denim tears, and the tactile glide of fountain pen ink over fibrous paper.
- Controlled High-Key Lighting: Using soft, diffused key sources, the lighting removes harsh commercial gloss, giving the studio space an intimate, warm glow that honors the vintage materials.
- Top-Down Choreography: Overhead flat-lay compositions celebrate the deliberate ritual of folding, binding with rustic twine, and sealing with hot crimson wax—turning an act of repurposing into a ceremonial gift.
Lakshmi Vidyasagar
Amal Zen
Jayasri Sridhar
Jayasri Sridhar
Hitesh Chaurasia