Imphal, Jan. 20: In a historic achievement for Manipuri cinema, renowned filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar’s award winning debut feature film Loktak Lairembee has been selected for screening in the 67th Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival 2017 during February 11-15.
This is the second Manipuri feature film to be screened in major international film festival after Aribam Syam Sharma’s Ishanou at Cannes (1990).
The International Forum of New Cinema, forum in short, is the most daring section of the Berlinale showcasing yet-to-be-discovered cinematic landscapes, experimental works, long term observations, and political reportage amongst others.
Films are selected to be screened in this section to provide a critical perspective and an expanded sense of cinematography, straddling the line between art and cinema.
Loktak Lairembee reflects the decades of insurgency and socio-political uncertainty in the Manipuri society. As Paban says, “My film symbolically delves into the fear psychosis that leads to mistrust and irresponsible conflicts (in the Manipuri society)”. The 71 minutes film is based on a story by popular writer Sudhir Naoroibam, and features two non-actors Ningthoujam Sanatomba and Sagolshem Thambalsang both of who earn their livelihood by fishing in Loktak Lake.
It may be recalled that Paban’s Loktak Lairembee won the prestigious Golden Gateway Award at the 18th Mumbai Film Festival 2016, and the NETPAC Award at the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival 2016. The film has featured in several international film festivals, including the Asian New Currents section of the 21st Busan International Film Festival 2016, Indian Panorama section of the 47th International Film Festival of India (Goa), Indian Kaleidoscope Film Festival at New York, World Cinema section of the 3rd Dubai International Film Festival and the Indian Cinema Now at the 21st Kerala International Film Festival 2016. The film was also the Inaugural Film of the 21st Agartala Film Festival 2016.
Haobam Paban, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata, came to the limelight with his non-feature AFSPA 1958 which was awarded the International Jury Award and the FIRESCI Award at the 9th Mumbai International Film Festival in 2006.
Several of his non-features including AFSPA 1958, A Cry in the Dark, Ngaihak lambida, The First Leap, Mr. India and Phum Shang had achieved recognition at national and international film festivals. Phum Shang won the prestigious Golden Conch award for Best Documentary at the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival last year.
