Top honours for Joseph's Son at GAFF
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 09 2025: Haobam Paban Kumar's third narrative feature in Manipuri languages, "Joseph's Son", has won the Best Feature Film and Best Music (for Guru Rewben Mashangva) awards in the North East India Film Competition of the 1st Guwahati Asian Film Festival 2025 .

The awards were announced by the Jury panel chaired by eminent Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, with members Dr Santwana Bordoloi and Akashaditya Lama on Sunday.

"Joseph's Son" had its world premiere at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival in the main competition section in June 2023 .

The film is produced by the National Film Development Corporation and co-produced by Oli Pictures, Imphal.

Guru Rewben Mashangva plays the main protagonist in the film, which is in Manipuri language and includes different languages such as Tangkhul, Meeteilol, Thadou Kuki, and Rongmei.

The film features characters from various communities, including Tangkhul, Meetei, Thadou Kuki, Rongmei, and Bihari.

The film is deeply relevant to the ongoing crisis of ethnic divide in Manipur.

It follows Joseph, a musician who reluctantly embarks on a long journey in search of his missing son.

As he travels, his fear intensifies, rooted in the constant conflicts - both past and present - that plague his homeland, adding a personal dimension to his growing anxiety.

Speaking about the film, Paban Kumar highlighted, "As a storyteller, it's very important that my films reflect my contemporary realities.

Manipur is home to 35 different tribes and sub-tribes, each with its own language, culture, and traditions.

Today there is huge unrest in Manipur between the various ethnic groups fighting for their identity, land, and forests.

This is a story about the fear and uncertainty of people living in places torn by decades of insurgency and ethnic division" .

Comment