Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 13 2009:
The news of screening five films of Manipur in the forthcoming 11th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) next year has evoked positive response from the young directors.
Independent film Director Chaoba Thiyam who directed the short film 'Eye of an I' which is scheduled to be screened at MIFF 2010 along with four other films from Manipur, said that his film is a visual poetry of the ongoing chaotic situation in this conflict ridden north eastern state.
The four other films are renowned filmmaker Khwairakpam Bishwamitra's documentary 'Boiling Blood', Bobby Wahengbam's documentary 'Roshni', Subhash E's short film 'The Sun is not still setting', and Bhumenjoy Konsam's animation film 'Tiger head'.
"In my film, I'm trying to show the chaotic situation of the region", Chaoba said and added," but to overcome this anguish we need a hero".
In his so called short film or composition of experimental shots,young director Chaoba tries to search a hero through a lone rider with or without any cinematic language.
Chaoba who had directed another documentary film 'Gwangju prize for Human Rights: Irom Sharmila 2007' is currently working as a video editor of NE TV Manipur Bureau.
He was the cameraman and editor of a film Real, which is now in the archive of Museum of Modern Art in New York.
According to BM Sunzu,Executive producer of the 15 minute-short film,it took one complete year make the 'Eye of an I' as it differently visualizes Manipur.
Saikhom Ratan or Bungobi among his near and dear ones is the cameraman of the film.
'Eye of an I' which had already been screened in 10th Asiatica film mediale film festival in Rome,Italy last month,is all set to go for another public screening during Experimenta 2009 from December 17-20 in Bangalore.
Mention may be made that MIFF will be held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point, Mumbai from February 3 to 9 next year under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Film Division.
Last year five documentary films made by North-Eastern directors have been selected for the Indian Competitive Section of -the Festival.
The films are - Children of the River: The Xihus of Assam, directed by filmmaker Maulee Senapati, Freedom at The Edge, directed by Aneisha Sharma, The World of Montu by Ashim Dutta, Distant Rumblings by Bani Prakash Das, all from Assam, and The Story of the Eastern Protectors by Ronel Haobam from Manipur.