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

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

NFSA implementation from Sep 1

15 Jul 2014 - 7:44am | AT News
Come September 1. Decks are clear to implement the National Food Security Act. Chairing a meeting of the food and civil supplies department in Dispur on Monday, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked...

IED on railway track

27 Feb 2015 - 9:26pm | AT News
Thousands of people travelling on two trains had a narrow escape when security forces recovered an IED on the railway tracks in Goalpara district on Friday.The powerful IED was recovered just fifteen...

ED tough on ponzi scam

21 Apr 2015 - 9:11pm | AT News
More trouble awaits two senior Congress leaders who are allegedly involved in the Sharadha scam. A 2 member team of officers from the enforcement directorate is believed to have been examining...

Vishal Mega mart opens in Hojai

16 Oct 2017 - 4:46pm | Nikhil Mundra
The Vishal Mega Mart shopping complex opened in Hojai on Monday. Houses at the J.K Kedia Road near the Assam Petrol Pump,Hojai was opened by Deputy Commissioner Manvendra Pratap Singh.In his...

Other Contents by Author

Pulin Das to attend press club programme

The veteran sports journalist of Assam and the founder president of Guwahati Press Club (GPC), Pulin Das will attend the Guest of the Month programme of GPC on December 30. The programme will begin at 1 pm in the GPC auditorium.Prior to it, the nonagenarian personality will be felicitated by the press club. Mr Das has maintained his health and plays lawn tennis regularly. Nava Thakuria, Secy, GPC

Eid Milan celebrated in Delhi

Assam Association, Delhi has celebrated Eid Milan on 23rd December at Srimanta Sankaradeva Bhawan. Eid has been celebrated by the Association since its inception on regular basis. The function was started with the welcome address by the president Gr Cpt (retd) A C Barua. Holy Koran was recited by a young member of the Association. Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, who served as Medical Counsel of Indian Embassy in Holy city of Mecca for many years shared his experience as a ‘Haji’ and as an spectator of this annual ritual, where millions from all over the world congregate to visit the holiest of holy places of Islam. Mr. Tassaduque Hussain, a ‘haji’ himself spoke about the...

First Open University of the state

Finally Assam gets to flaunt its very own Open University. The very first open university of the state – Krishna Kanta Handique Open University (KKHOU) which was set up last year opened its doors for students recently as it started its academic activities with a Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP).KKHOU is an answer to the prayers of those student’s who have been unable to continue with their studies owing to various reasons. Though Assam has been flooded by other Universities providing rather claiming to provide distance learning courses but these universities are of questionable repute as they are plagued by recognition issues. Moreover, the exams are not held...

Hornbill Festival makes way to a Bohemian New Year Revelry

The people of Nagaland have witnessed the humble beginning of the Hornbill Festival in 2001 in Kohima Local ground, the venue of which has been changed to Kisama now. The festival has been named after the Hornbill a bird (Dhanesh Chiriya) which is abundantly referred to in Naga customs and traditions. But this bird which signifies the Naga identity is almost extinct due to mindless killing and lack of thick forest -- their breeding place. The Naga cultural troupes today use paper feathers and wooden Hornbill in cultural festivals since there is no living Hornbill easily traceable in Nagaland. If a Hornbill sanctuary is developed in the outskirts of Kisama along with all other colorful...

Oil India Limited wins Assam Club football

Oil India Limited dethroned defending champion Assam State Electricity Board in the Assam Club Championship at Bokakhat on 23rd DEC with a 4-1 victory in a rematch of last year's final. Looking to avenge the defeat at the hands of the ASEB in the previous final, the OIL team played smart football and dominated the game throughout.The OIL think tank chose the 1-4-5-1 formation to the ASEB's 1-4-4-2 pattern and it proved to be a winning strategy. OIL took the lead with captain Birjab Mushahary's winger off a corner as early as in the sixth minute. Durga Boro scored the second goal three minutes later. After missing several scoring opportunities, ASEB bounced back in the 39th...

Two youth killed in Karbi Anglong

Santipur police, in Karbi Anglong, recovered the bodies of two youth — one Prasanta Nath of Naharjan Nathgaon, Bokakhat and another unidentified — from the Upper Rangsali Hansegaon. Police also recovered one AK-47 rifle cartridge and 15 rifle cartridges from the spot. KOUSHIK HAZARIKA

AAPSU files PIL against Election Commission

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Election Commission of India (ECI) which allowed the inclusion of Chakma and Hajong refugees' names in the electoral roll.After a tour by AAPSU delegation in the Chakma-Hajong inhabited Assembly constituencies at Doimukh, Chowkham, Bordumsa-Diyum and Miaoto area they have found out this crucial information. The PIL was filed with the Itanagar bench of Gauhati High Court. In a statement issued by the organisation they alleged that a few leaders in those area were playing with the fundamental rights of the indigenous population.

Voice from the hills reverberates Delhi

The movement for Gorkhaland is gaining momentum not only in the hills but also among the Indian Nepali masses from all over the residing in Delhi who protested against the sixth schedule and for a separate state for the gorkhas comprising Darjeeling and dooars.The newly formed Gorkha Janmukti morcha (GJMM) with its firebrand leader, president of GJMM - Mr Bimal Gurung is spearheading the gorkhaland cause. According to senior leader, general secretary of GJMM Mr Roshan Giri creation of state is the only solution and not sixth schedule and it would fulfill the long standing demand of not only Darjilingites but also the rest of Indian gorkhas. The hills opposition parties, GJMM, ABGL, CPRM,...

Bihar MP reaches SC against Himanta Biswa Sarma

An MP from Bihar has reached the Supreme Court seeking probe into the alleged link of Assam’s health minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma with ULFA.In a PIL, the minister named Sukhdeo Paswan further alleges Dr Sarma’s involvement in the ULFA’s attack on the Biharis.He alleged that several criminal cases with a TADA case was pending against him which is why is using his political influence get ride of the laws.Another serious charge against Mr Sarma, according to Mr Paswan, is an extortion case of over Rs 90 lakh on behalf of ULFA. He said this is why he was allegedly booked under the TADA on January 12, 1991 at the Pan Bazar Police Station.Filed by counsel C D Singh on behalf...

Eid Ul Zuha celebration in Assam

Muslim people celebrated Eid-ul-zuha across the north eastern region on Friday with much religious favour and solemnity. Reports of huge congregations for community namaj are pouring in from different parts of the region. This follows the officering of sacrifice of animals. Known as the feast of the sacrifice in Islam, Eid Ul Zuha is celebrated on the tenth day of Zul-Hijja, which is the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar, and also marks the end of the annual Haj pilgrimage. The festival of sacrifice, also known as the Greater Eid, is the second most important festival in the Muslim calendar after Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan. Muslims in large...