Skip to content Skip to navigation

Tripura film bags first National Film Award

By editor |

Internationally acclaimed Kokborok film YARWNG (Roots) won the first national film award for Tripura at 56th National Film Awards (2008) held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, 19 March, 2010. The President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil handed over the medal and certificate to Don Bosco priests Joseph Kizhakechennadu (producer) and Fr. Joseph Pulinthanath (director) for their second feature film.


Pulinthanath dressed in white cassock and Kizhakechennadu in his preferred saffron lungi and half-sleeved white kurta were among 52 film award winners of 2008, including high-profile Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra and the doyen of Indian Cinematography V.K. Murthy who was awarded country’s highest honor in cinema - the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.


Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Ambika Soni and Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, and other officials accompanied the President.


Accent on People’s Cinema


The award winning 95 minute film Yarwng (Roots) tells the story of large-scale displacement of tribal people that took place in the tiny Northeastern state when a hydel project was set up there in the late 1970s. Yarwng was the opening film at the prestigious Indian Panorama section of the 39th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji, Goa, November 2008.


According to the filmmakers, the script of Yarwng emerged from the numerous encounters they held with displaced people in the sanctity of their ramshackle homes. “All the incidents and emotional turmoil we see in the film were etched in the subconscious psyche of the people. All we did was to get close to them and feel their stories as they recalled them with looks, sighs, tears and also words,” recalled the priest director and winner of national and international awards.


“Although the technical team came from Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and the support team from Guwahati (Assam), the best part of the production was the involvement of the local people,” says producer Kizhakechennadu who claims cinematic traditions from his legendary relative John Abraham, a genius in Malayalam cinema and founder of a people's cinema movement called Odessa.


All the artistes and production hands were from Tripura state including noted actors Meena Debbarma who plays the lead role of Karmati, Amulya Ratan Jamatia, Nirmal Jamatia and Surabhi Debbarma.


Yarwng has traveled throughout India and has been screened in major cities around the world including New York, Brisbane, Moscow, Taipei, Stuttgart and Dhaka.


Yarwng also won a Special Jury Mention Award at the 3rd Eye Asian film festival held in Mumbai in 2008.


The film, part-financed by Church organizations – Missio Germany, Signis and the Salesian Congregation is also a compelling testament to the commitment of the Church and the Don Bosco Society to preservation of local, indigenous cultures and people.


C.M. Paul, New Delhi

Comments

KOUSHIK HAZARIKA's picture

Submitted by KOUSHIK HAZARIKA on Sat, 27/03/2010 - 07:06
In the year of the brilliant Samson and Delilah, BIFF will bring a stream of films by or about Indigenous people, called Colourise films. These include The Inheritors, which documents rural Mexico, capturing the dignity and humanity of people in the face of incredible exploitation. Both Roots and Birdwatchers tell a universal story of displacement from land and culture.

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Sanjoy Hazarika receives Global Citizenship award

The prestigious Tufts University’s Dr Jean Mayer Award for Global Citizenship this year goes to eminent journalist Sanjoy Hazarika. Hazarika, the pride of North eastern India was awarded recognizing innovative work and initiatives in health and governance. Notably, previously the award have gone to personalities like Nobel laureates economist Amartya Sen, and South African freedom fighter Rev. Desmond Tutu. Hazarika, received the award at a function on Friday and was honoured with a standing ovation at the Fletcher School of Diplomacy.

Centre suggests CBI probe into the Rs 1000 cr scam

Amid a simmering political temperature, the Centre has advised Dispur to go for Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the multi-crore scam in North Cahcar Hills district. The Centre’s suggestion was confirmed by Union home secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai who shot off a letter to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi. Precisely, it’s a major embarrassment for Mr Gogoi, who has been downplaying the demand for CBI probe. But the Opposition parties still are demanding immediate dismissal of the Gogoi government. The Assam BJP unit on Monday called on Assam governor J B Patnaik urging him to order CBI probe in to the multi-crore scam three days after the AGP staged demo in...

Gogoi sues Week, says he will quit

Amid a political storm, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday made it plain that he would take action if his ministers are found involved in the Rs 1000 crore scam that rocked the North Cachar Hills Autonpmous Council. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, Gogoi said the NIA never sought his consent to quiz his minister as it was reported in the Week. He said he would quit if waht the Week carries are found correct. he further said the government is mulling legal action on the Week. Notably, the Week magazine recently in a report broke that the National Investigation Agency probing the multi crore funds scam had named seven ministers and a former governor citing their...

Pradeep Gogoi gets bail; CM says ULFA leaders could be freed

ULFA vice chairman Pradeep Gogoi on Friday procured bail in three TADA cases even as Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi the jailed ULFA leaders could be freed to ensure a hassle-free process for holding peace talk with the givernment. Gogoi on Friday got bail in 3 cases while the fnal judgment in 3 other pending cases are to be delivered on February 23. The court will deliver its final judgment in the remaining cases on February 23 where same it is expected for the single case against publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary. Meanwhile, talking to reporters on Friday in Dispur, Gogoi said he wants the talk amid a congenial atmosphere and with dignity. But he refused to divulge these in detail...

HSLC, AHM exams begin

Altogehter 3,78,610 candidates are appearing in the High School Leaving Certificate Examinations and Assam High Maddressa examinations, 2010 across the state which begins on Friday. According to the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, which conducts the external examination the examinations are holding at 780 centres. The state secondary education board this time deployes 981 invligators along ith 72 zonal invligators, 26 district invligators to ensure free and fair examination which begins from 9 in the morning. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, education minister Gautom Bora, AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary, AASU also welcomed the examinees.

Road mishap: 9 dead near Guwahati

Altogether 9 persons died when a vehicle carrying a marriage party collided it head on a speeding truck in the outskirt of Guwahati city last night. According to information, the tragic road mishap took place at around 12-30 midnight at Goverdhan near Chaygaon as the marriage party were on the way to Boko from Khetri. Nine persons of the marriage party died on the spot while 5 others have been rushed to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. The driver and his associate of the truck are absconding. Details are awaited.

Sunsali incident: HC orders police investigation

The Gauhati High Court on Thursday orders police investigation to unearth the things behind the the recent incident at Sunsali where to Gurukul Grammer School Students drowned on the river Brahmaputra. The Court order came up after victim Saheer Ahmed's father moved a writ petition seeking proper probe in to the tragic case. It may be recalled that two students namely Simanta Saurabha and Saheer Ahmed met watery grave as they were holding a secret session with five other friends on Friday 7 at Sunsali. The bodies were recovered 5 and 6 days laer.

Himanta denies report on NIA

Amid a simmering controversry over the NIA report in the fund misappropriation cases in NC hills, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday strongly refuted the story carried by a news magazine. Addressing a press conference in Dispur on Thursday, Sarma said he has already served a legal notice to the weekly adding that ASDC and BJP were running the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council during that period. "That's why, the involvement of Congress and its leaders does not arise," he said.

Gogoi praises army for decease in violence

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi says sustained efforts by army and para military forces have resulted a visible decline in the incidents of violence in Asam. Inaugurating an army fair at the Judges field in Guwahati on Wednesday, Gogoi said police and army have best coodination in dealing with the anti-national forces. The visitors at the fair were treated to a thrilling display weapons including rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, rocket launchers and mortars. Dog show, horse show and an aero model show were also conducted by the army personnel.

Bhimkanta demands probe into Kamal allegations

ULFA top leader Bhimkanta Burahgohain, popularly konwn as Mama demands probe into the sensational revelations of Kamal Nath who alleged that the top ranked ULFA leaders captured in 2005 during Operation All Clear in Bhutan were killed in Shillong after being handed over to India at the instance of Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mani Kumar Subba. mama was brought to the court to be produced before it.