Assamese film ‘The Woodcutter’ unveiled at Cannes Film Festival

Mumbai: Assamese film ‘The Woodcutter’, directed by Prakash Deka, talks about global warming through the eyes of a young girl. The trailer of the film was recently unveiled at the Bharat Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival in the presence of Hollywood actress Judi Beecher. The film was earlier selected as part of the NFDC Screenwriters Lab in 2021. It is set against the backdrop of a changing world, and delves into the conflict of tradition and modernity. The film follows the story of Bonojit, a forty-year-old folk musician, who grapples with the challenges of preserving his craft in the face of societal judgement and personal turmoil. His daughter, Munu, becomes a symbol of the generational divide as she confronts her father’s profession and its impact on their family.

The film stars Assamese actors Baharul Islam, Sharmistha Chkarvoty, Pratibha Choudhary, and Prajalika. Talking about the film, producer J. V. Manisha Bajaj told IANS: “The film talks about global warming that is relatable across the globe. I would actually call it ‘global warning’ because we all need to be warned and start thinking about taking care of nature. ‘The Woodcutter’ talks about the subject beautifully through the eyes of a small girl.” She further mentioned: “I have been coming to the Cannes Film Festival for a few years now and this script that we picked up from NFDC film bazaar a couple of years ago, has literally taken the shape here. I met some amazing associates in Cannes and now here we are, doing the trailer launch with a finished film. For independent filmmakers, these film festivals serve as a great platform to find the right partners.”

The film is produced by J. V. Manisha Bajaj and Tarsem Antil and directed by Prakash Deka, who belongs to a tribal community from the Northeastern part of India. (IANS)

 Also Read: Assam: ‘Lachit the Warrior’ screened at 77th edition of Cannes Film Festival (sentinelassam.com)

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