Two other films with Naga connection to be screened at Edinburgh India Festival
The breakthrough Nagamese feature film, ‘Nana - A Tale of Us’ has added another feather in its growing repertoire. It will be screened as the official closing film of the Edinburgh Festival of Indian Films & Documentaries (EFIFD). Touted as the largest celebration of contemporary Indian cinema in Scotland, the EFIFD will be organised in association with the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh from November 24-27. Directed by Tiakumzuk Aier and produced by Aoyimti Baptist Church Youth Ministry, in association with NBCC, Nana offers a never-before-seen inside-out perspective on governance challenges in India’s scenic hill states of the North-East, the organiser said. “Yeah! We are happy to announce that our very own naga film NANA - a tale of us, will be screened….We hope it gets good response from international audience too…,” Dreamz Unlimited, a local Theatre and Film Production, whose members took major part in the film, announced on its Facebook page. “Getting recognition for our own film at an international arena indeed is a big achievement for us,” said Tiakumzuk Aier, Nana’s director. “I hope that it will be a step closer to bigger things,” he added. Right now, he is processing travel documents and looking for resources to attend post screening Public Q&A with Director. Nana was directly selected after the Festival Director Dr Piyush Roy instantly liked the movie after watching it during a visit to Kohima. He later pitched the film to the committee members and thereafter it was selected as the closing movie. “EFIFD recommends significant ‘political film’ with a warm local heart. Nana fuses the subtle and minimalist satire-laced style of new Iranian cinema, with the intimate-eye-for-family-details of classic storytellers like Ozu,” said the organizer in the festival brochure. It marks the ascendancy of a new directorial voice worth watching out for director, it noted, adding that unlike most films in the genre, this Church-funded production articulates its concerns through plausible drama with a “subtly infused correctional ‘religious’ message that bad karma does eventually catch up.” Gautamiputra Satakarni (Balakrishna, Shriya, Hema Malini), a 2017 Telugu historical action film directed by Krish Jagarlamudi will open the festival. It acknowledges the rapid emergence of India’s southern film industry, also known as Kollywood, the organiser said. “In complete contrast is the closing film, Nana – A Tale of Us, an independent church-funded social satire made by a bunch of talented young film lovers. For the first time ever, a feature film from the small, Indian tribal state Nagaland will travel to an international platform,” it added. OTHER NAGA CONNECTION Apart from Aier, another filmmaker from Nagaland Sophy Lasuh has also been selected to showcase her film at the festival. Her documentary film ‘Rone’ (2017) will be screened in ‘Desi Diaries (non-fiction)’ section of the festival on November 26.
In the documentary, Lasuh narrates the story of Rone, a 79-year old woman, who chooses to be a preserver of indigenous knowledge.
“She has seen time move fast in her tiny Chakhesang Naga village…barely leaving behind any semblance of the life she knew,” described the organiser.
“Because her Naga history is transmitted orally, it is particularly vulnerable to rapid change, especially when young people absorb values and cultures alien to their ancestors,” it added.
The film is described as imaginatively shot and observational, capturing how Rone effortlessly practiced “a village tradition that may not survive the weight of Christian influence.”
In the Long Shorts (fiction) section on November 25, ‘Tales of the Tribes’ (Tara Douglas, English, 2017) also has Naga connection. It is a collection of five short animation films based on indigenous folktales from India selected by participants in five Tribal Animation Workshops in Nagaland (2009), Sikkim (2010), Manipur (2012), Ahmedabad and Arunachal Pradesh (2013). The five stories are: Manjoor Jhali (the Story of the Peacock) from the Pardhan Gonds of Madhya Pradesh, Man Tiger Spirit from the Angami of Nagaland, Abotani from the Tani tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, Nye Mayel Kyong from the Lepcha of Sikkim, and Tapta from the Meitei of Manipur.
Morung Express Feature