'Boong' premieres at Toronto Film Fest
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 08 2024: 'Boong', a debut film by Manipuri filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi premiered in the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Saturday.

For the first time, a Manipuri fiction film was featured in TIFF's Discovery section, marking a significant milestone for the State and its film industry.

The A-grade film festival is being held at Toronto, Canada from September 5 to 15, said a press release issued by the Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) .

Boong tells the story of a young boy's journey to reunite his broken family, set in the village of Khurkhul in Imphal West and the town of Moreh on the India-Myanmar border.

The film follows a young boy's emotional journey to reunite his broken family by bringing home his absentee father.

Beyond its narrative, Boong is a love letter to Manipur, capturing the town's essence and the spirit of its people, who lived in harmony before the violence.

Shot just months before ethnic violence tore through the region, Boong stands as a poignant documentation of a Manipur that now feels distant.

Moreh, once a thriving town known for its diversity, was a place where communities coexisted peacefully.

The film was a community effort, with residents from different ethnic backgrounds contributing to its production.

"It gives me chills to think that Boong might be the last documentation of Moreh as it was before the violence.

"The town, the people, the way we all came together�it's heartbreaking to know that it might never be the same again," Lakshmipriya said.

Before Boong, only two Manipuri films had been showcased at TIFF, including the classic Imagi Ningthem by Aribam Syam Sharma and the documentary A Cry in the Dark by Haobam Paban Kumar.

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