In the Belly of a Tiger

“In the Belly of a Tiger”, a feature film developed by Jatla Siddartha (India), in the framework of LIM | Less is More in 2019.

Synopsis

Inspired by true events, an elderly couple in a remote village in northern India must decide who will sacrifice themselves by being killed by a tiger in order to receive the government compensation necessary for their family’s survival.

Jatla Siddartha during LIM’s first workshop of the year 2019, held in Poland | © Robert Słuszniak

Intentions

In July 2017, the half-eaten body of a 55-year-old woman was found at the edges of a forest in Bankati village, one of the impoverished villages surrounding the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in northern India.

While examining her body, village officials noticed the first signs of a disturbing new farmer suicide trend. It was suspected that villagers had begun sending their elderly members into the tiger reserve as prey, to then relocate their bodies to the surrounding
fields in order to obtain compensation from the Indian government. Villagers are not entitled to claim compensation if they
die in the reserve, but if they are killed in a tiger attack outside the reserve, they can receive up to 10 lakhs in government compensation (less than 12,000 Euro).

Over the past months (2019), I have spent time in these villages. Inspired by the true stories of Pilibhit’s villagers, IN THE BELLY OF A TIGER is a fictional account of one family. I believe this is a story that cannot be forgotten, and their lives deserve to be shared on screen.