Final-Film Festival-13-11-08.p65 - Directorate of Film Festivals

Editing :SankhaSound:Prasun Sen GuptaMusic :Ningthouja LanchaCast: Seema, Tomba, Surchandra,TarkovskyContact:Satyajit Ray Film and TelevisionInstitute of India, E M By Pass Road,P.O.Panchasayar, Kolkata - 700094,India.Phone/fax: (+91) (33)2432 0070/723HAOBAM PABAN KUMARHaobam Paban Kumar has a PG Diplomain Direction & Scw from SRFTI Kolkata. Hisfilms have been shown at various festivals andinternational events. His documentaryKANGLA, AFSPA 1958 & A CRY IN THEDARK has won numerous awards includingthe FIPRESCI PRIZE at MIFF, 2006. Haobamis currently based in Manipur.DIRECTOR'S STATEMENTManipur is a northeast state in India where decades ofinsurgency has thrown the society into disarray. The people havereceded into a cocooned existence, devoid of any space for selfexpression.The worst effected is the women and the children.This film is about a woman who decides to come out of thiscocooned existence.SYNOPSISNOKPOKLIBA(nokpokliba)35mm/colour/English/10 minutes/ESTThis film is based on a folk tale from Nagaland. It's the storyabout Nokpokliba, a magician, who brings justice to his peoplethrough his magic.There was once an evil merchant who cheated the Naga peoplefrom the hills of their cotton. He would trade his cow in exchangefor their cotton but the cow he used to trade was actually hisown son. He would transform his son into a cow through hismagic. The farmers would buy this cow. As they would returnhome with the cow, it would turn into different animals and runaway.The cheated farmers finally go to Nokpokliba for help whowas known for helping farmers get their cows back by counteringthe merchant's magic with his own. In order to give the magiciana taste of his own medicine, Nokpokliba then turned dried leavesinto cotton and traded with the merchant.86 87