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Director Statement
This film has been brewing for many years, but ultimately was pushed forth to fruition by the toilet paper hoarding witnessed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acres of trees around the world are cut to make toilet paper. This film urges us to play our part in saving the trees by conducting our toileting hygiene with water. In the end it makes a humorous plug for saving the paper for personal protective equipment.

From an environmental perspective, washing with water is not only more effective and hygienic, it also requires less water than wiping with toilet paper. It takes 140 litres to make just one roll of toilet paper. In contrast one would use just about 500 ml of water from a bidet to clean one’s behind. Even more effective is the “lota” alluded to in the film, a vessel made of brass or copper used in the Indian sub-continent for multiple purposes, including toilet hygiene. One needs to use the same amount of water to wash one’s hands regardless.

I was born in India and grew up in the USA. I am also board certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, as well as Family and Community Medicine, and have a graduate degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Environmental Health Sciences.

When I was a child visiting India, the use and availability of toilet paper wasn’t prevalent there. I was grossed out by using water. When I returned to India as an adult, still before toilet paper became popular, I appreciated the fresh, clean feeling of washing with water. There’s a marked difference in the level of hygiene one can accomplish with water. Wet wipes are a close second, but the energy that goes into producing them and the waste generated, makes them an unsustainable option in the very long run, which is the game we need to be playing now.
As a practicing physician, I can also attest to the fact that incomplete perianal hygiene is more common than one might think. It is a contributor to such uncomfortable conditions as inflamed hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and perianal pruritis (itching). I often see bits of toilet paper hanging around too.

Those are the reasons I made this film. I brought back the superhero featured in my first award winning short film on public urination, BadBoo: An Olfactory Offense. I do hope you enjoy Viva la Lota.

Jayshree Chander was born in India and grew up in the USA. She is a practicing physician by profession, a performing artist by obsession, an incidental writer, and a yogini by nature. While she is a board certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, as well as Family and Community Medicine, and has a graduate degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Environmental Health Sciences, she specializes in listening, kindness, and humor.

Director Statement
This film has been brewing for many years, but ultimately was pushed forth to fruition by the toilet paper hoarding witnessed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acres of trees around the world are cut to make toilet paper. This film urges us to play our part in saving the trees by conducting our toileting hygiene with water. In the end it makes a humorous plug for saving the paper for personal protective equipment.

From an environmental perspective, washing with water is not only more effective and hygienic, it also requires less water than wiping with toilet paper. It takes 140 litres to make just one roll of toilet paper. In contrast one would use just about 500 ml of water from a bidet to clean one’s behind. Even more effective is the “lota” alluded to in the film, a vessel made of brass or copper used in the Indian sub-continent for multiple purposes, including toilet hygiene. One needs to use the same amount of water to wash one’s hands regardless.

I was born in India and grew up in the USA. I am also board certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, as well as Family and Community Medicine, and have a graduate degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Environmental Health Sciences.

When I was a child visiting India, the use and availability of toilet paper wasn’t prevalent there. I was grossed out by using water. When I returned to India as an adult, still before toilet paper became popular, I appreciated the fresh, clean feeling of washing with water. There’s a marked difference in the level of hygiene one can accomplish with water. Wet wipes are a close second, but the energy that goes into producing them and the waste generated, makes them an unsustainable option in the very long run, which is the game we need to be playing now.
As a practicing physician, I can also attest to the fact that incomplete perianal hygiene is more common than one might think. It is a contributor to such uncomfortable conditions as inflamed hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and perianal pruritis (itching). I often see bits of toilet paper hanging around too.

Those are the reasons I made this film. I brought back the superhero featured in my first award winning short film on public urination, BadBoo: An Olfactory Offense. I do hope you enjoy Viva la Lota.