The film presents myriad aspects of Naga life and the intense effort now going on to raised the living standards and to build the framework of community and individual welfare.
Cityscapes' is a six part series on six cities of India representing the diverse nature and histories of cities in India. 'Shillong' shows the influences of the British in its architecture, lifestyle and language, and the attempts of its indigenous people, the Khasis, to revive Khasi traditions. Shillong is the place where the British moved to after they found Cherapunji too wet. They called it 'Scotland of the East'. A multicultural city, Shillong is home to people from both India and Europe. The films attempts to explore the culture of Khasis through interviews, snapshots of indigenous people, reconstruction of legends, traditional dances, architecture, bazaars and documentary footage.
The Film is a portrait of a family in a remote village called Puntong deep inside a Lepcha tribal reserve called Dzongu in Northern part of Sikkim, India
Every winter, the lamas of Phensang's village monastery hold their annual cham. These dramatic ritual masked dances impart elementary Buddhist teachings while providing entertainment to villagers.Their main purpose is to remove obstacles and ward off misfortune for the village, its inhabitants and the monastery. However, for lamas and more serious Buddhist practitioners, these cham and their rituals hold deep philosophical meanings. In the course of this village event, the deities who emerge in the period between death and rebirth make their rhythmic appearances followed by the Lord of Death who judges one's good and bad deeds in the after life.
Every winter, over a period of six days, the lamas of Lingthem's village monastery hold their annual cham. These dramatic ritual masked dances impart elementary Buddhist teachings while providing entertainment to villagers. Their main purpose is to remove obstacles and ward off misfortune for the village, its inhabitants and the monastery. However, for lamas and more serious Buddhist practitioners, these cham and their rituals hold deep philosophical meanings. In the course of this village event, the deities who emerge in the period between death and rebirth make their rhythmic appearances followed by the Lord of Death who judges one's good and bad deeds in the after life.
Here is the story of how the mightiest of mammals, the elephant is caught. The film shows the difficulties encountered in trapping wild elephants in the thick forests on the banks of the river Kabini in Mysore. Stupendous efforts required for successful operation of the 'Khedda' are vividly explained in the film. Catching the wild elephants is a risky job indeed requiring patience, skill and years of training.
It is filmed during the threshing of Paddy, music is the heart of the documentary. The silence of their surroundings is not something the residents enjoy as much as we would like to believe. The quiet of the forest and the daily grind of making ends meet with impossibly low means, is probably what makes them sing. When they are singing, they are a whole, if someone misses a word, someone else picks it up and so on.
350 people have died in election violence due 23028324 to Assamese slaughtering Bengali immigrants whom they claim are not entitled to vote in the state elections. The last round of voting has been boycotted by half of the population as most opposition parties support the Assamese. Several people are shot by police as they attempt to steal the ballot boxes.
The Bodo’s the largest plain tribe live mainly in the Kokrajhar district of Northern Assam and belong to the Tibet Burmese mongoloid group. This Bodos calims to be the original inhabitants of ancient Assam known as Kamrupa. This News Magazine brings out the life & struggle of the Bodo people and their agitation for a separate state of bodyline.
Assam is famous for its malty flavoured tea. What is less is well known is that for 28 years a conflict has raged there between the Indian government and the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). An estimated 18,000 people have died during the conflict. ULFA, the biggest of 30 different rebel groups, have been fighting for Assam's independence since the late seventies.
It is also home to 40 per cent of India's water, and 30 per cent of its oil. Many claim that the money made from these resources benefits the Indian federal government, but not Assam itself. Since the Indian army took up residence in 1989, ULFA have been fighting for an independent Assam, and with it, control of its natural resources.
A writer looks for a bit of good news in the days of the Assam Movement (1985-90), when the youth had sunk to the lowest depths of degradation, and civilized emotions seemed to be wiped completely out of existence. Everywhere prevailed only lust and cowardly violence. Newspapers had chilling pages of depressing stories and to read them was to be overcome by an even greater feeling of horror and helplessness. Finally the writer discovers a small piece of news item in a morning paper that gives him hope as it brings him tales of inspiring people who survive the troubled times by piously and devoutly reading their holy scriptures.
People who resides at the border between India and Bangladesh found themselves in a state of lost when construction of fence started along the border. Some of the field of cultivation of the citizens of India are in Bangladesh. Now they find difficult to cross over to cultivate in their own land. Security are tight from both side, that is theri everyday nightmares.
British and Indian forces have been fighting the Japanese at Imphal on the Burmese border for many weeks. The Japanese are now in retreat having suffered many casualties.
on 15th August, India celebrates its independence, on the same day, groups fighting for independence from India, call a protest shut down of North Eastern India….
(18 Jun 1980) Speaking "underground" to avoid arrest, the President of ASSU (All Assam Students' Union) Mr Prafullah Kumar Mohanta answers questions on how he would describe a "foreigner" and how he would answer charges that his movement is an act of secession and communalism. He is accompanied at the interview by Mr Neelam Barua, a post-graduate student and secretary of the Debate and Symposia.
People in Meghalaya bet on Archery. It is known as Thoh Tim, or Teer (arrow), or Siat Khnam (Shoot Arrow). Is it a gambling? Or Is it legal? In this short Documentary it explains this queries.
