Paris Premiere For Priest's Film on Displaced Persons from Northeast India
- Paris on December 8th 2011 -

A scene from Kokborok film 'Yarwng' (Roots) from Tripura

Northeast India's Kokborok film 'Yarwng' (Roots) from Tripura state will be screened in Paris on December 8th at the Maison des Cultures du Monde under the patronage of Program Sorosoro of the Chirac Foundation.

The opening film of Indian Panorama section at India international Film Festival of India (IFFI Goa) in 2008, 'Yarwng' brought to Tripura its first National Film Award in 2010. "Yarwng has been a typical instance of a film being a vehicle for the uplift of a language and culture," claims director of Yarwng, Salesian Father Joseph Pulinthanath.

The award winning director hopes the Paris screening of the film with subtitles in French will "further open up avenues for the development of Kokborok language." "It's wonderful to know that our film is doing its bit as an ambassador for Kokborok culture," comments Pulinthanath working on his third Kokbork feature film.

The 60-member Yarwng crew braved several odds to make the film happening, the second one from the director in the language, the first being 'Mathia' (Bangle) on the social evil of witch hunt. 'Yarwng' is the second feature film of Don Bosco Sampari Pictures Tripura.

The story of the 95-minute feature film revolves round the large-scale displacement which happened in Tripura when the newly-built Dumbur dam (1970s) submerged huge areas of arable land in the fertile Raima valley about 40 years ago. The film is about the romance between Karmati and Wakhiri. On the eve of their marriage, the dam submerges the entire village and separates them.

'Yarwng' was shot on actual locations like Bolongbasa and adjoining areas and many of the people who act in the film are real life victims of displacement. The lead actors of Yarwng are local talents Meena Debbarma, Nirmal Jamatia and Sushil Debbarma.

Yarwng has been screened in over 40 international film festivals across the world, including those in USA, Germany, Australia, Moscow, and Taiwan. The Maison des Cultures du Monde in Paris will be the first time Yarwng is screened in the birthplace of cinema and some of its tallest masters.

The New York Times in its review, called 'Yarwng', "a rare glimpse into tribal India." France-based Sorosoro festival aims to preserve endangered languages and cultures of the world.

The screening of the acclaimed Kokborok film will mark the setting up the Foundation in India where they plan to document 100 unscheduled languages found in the country.

Official website: www.yarwng.com

Pls chk the link for Paris festival schedule:


Director's contact info: jpulinsdb(at)gmail(dot)com