Paban Kumar's Nine Hills One Valley set for World premiere
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 20 2021: Haobam Paban Kumar's second narrative feature in Manipuri and Tangkhul language- Nine Hills One Valley is finally set for World premiere at Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2021 in Indonesia.

The film, among 17 Asian films selected, will be screened in Asia Pers-pectives of the 16th edition of the 8-day festival beginning from November 27.Nine Hills One Valley is about Anam Ahum, a Tangkhul Naga from the hills, who travels to Imphal city in the valley in order to meet his daughter before she leaves for New Delhi in search of a job.

During the course of the journey, he encounters different people and their stories, making us witness to the brutishness of ethnic conflicts, said a statement issued by the Film Society of Manipur.

About the film, Paban Kumar said, "The desire for ethnic supremacy and emergence of politics of identity had put the people to an unceasing violence, amplifying further mistrust and animosity amongst its population.

Yet, in the face of distressed memories, hope thrives.

My film is a testimony of the brutishness of ethnic clash heard from the victims" .

Paban Kumar's Nine Hills One Valley set for World premiere

Anam Ahum is the main protagonist of the 75�minute long film- Nine Hills One Valley produced by Warepam Jhansirani and Haobam Paban Kumar for Oli Pictures.

National Film Awardee Irom Maipak and Ranjan Palit are cameramen.

Sound is done by Sukanta Majumdar and Editing by Sankha and Story, Screenplay and Direction by Haobam Paban Kumar, added the statement.

Haobam Paban Kumar is a prominent voice emitting out of the restive North eastern State of Manipur, dabbling in both non-fiction and fiction storytelling.

Immediately after graduating from Satyajit Roy Film and Television Institute, Kolkata in Direction and Screen-writing, he burst onto the documentary scene with his hard hitting film, AFSPA 1958.It brought many accolades including the first Swarna Kamal for Manipur at the 56th National Film Awards 2009.After nearly a decade of making non-fiction, he made his critically acclaimed feature film, Loktak Lairembee in 2016 .

Till date, Paban won four National film awards and his seven films were selected in Indian Panorama of International Film Festival of India.

Currently he is shooting his third narrative feature.

Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival ( JAFF ) is a premier Asian film festival in Indonesia focusing on the development of Asian cinema.

This festival not only contributes to introducing Asian cinema to a wider public in Indonesia, but it also provides a space for the intersection of many sectors such as arts, culture, and tourism.

Since its inception, JAFF has worked closely with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema), a worldwide organization of 30 member countries.

Headquartered in Colombo Srilanka, NETPAC is a pan-Asian film and cultural organization involving critics, filmmakers, festival organizers and curators, distributors and exhibitors, as well as educators.

It is considered a leading authority in Asian cinema.