KOLKATA: With three films from the region, the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) 2024, which wrapped up on Wednesday, continued its tradition of presenting the rich cinematic legacy of northeastern India.
Among the entries were two feature films from Assam – ‘Burkha The Veil’ by veteran filmmaker Hiren Bora and ‘Alokanv’ (Seven Days) by debutant director Paramesh Deka – along with ‘Chara Iyong’, a documentary by Manipuri filmmaker Ningthouja Lancha.
‘Burkha The Veil’ was part of the prestigious Competition on Indian Language Films category and had three screenings across the city. Bora, through this film, retells the struggles that one bright Muslim teenager from a Brahmaputra riverside village, Reshma, faced in her path to education. "Despite legal prohibitions, child marriage remains prevalent in rural India, including Assam.
This film aims to raise awareness about the issue," said Bora. Bora's cinematic career includes films like ‘Basundhara The Earth’ that won the Rajat Kamal award in 2009 and ‘Khobh The Anguish’, which was screened in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2015.
Another Assamese entry, ‘Alokanv’, chronicles the lives of the Galo tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh. Paramesh Deka spent significant time interacting with the community before writing his first fiction film set in a remote village.
These films, through great narrative and cultural depth, tell the diverse voices and social realities of the northeast and, therefore, extend their reach on a prestigious platform like KIFF.
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