Hatibondhu: It is an honor for Manipur and Assam that two documentary films from both states have been chosen for the prestigious Indian Panorama Official Selection for the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2022.
Human-elephant conflict has increased dramatically as a result of the destruction of elephant forests in Assam and the expansion of the human population, resulting in fatalities on both sides. This inspiring and informative documentary highlights the efforts of the non-profit organisation ‘Hati Bondhu’ to save the lives of these majestic, intelligent animals while also assisting farmers with their rice harvest, thereby putting an end to the conflict between the two.
Also Read: Indian Panorama: Why Not A Single Film Of Northeast Was Selected To The Film Fest?
Kripal Kalita, a film director, began his career with Agnibristi video production. He’s directed 12 short films and 15 TV series. He has received numerous awards for his films such as Red to Black, Megh-The Cloud, JAAPI-The Roof of Assam, and BRIDGE. He received the Social Mention Award at the 51st International Film Festival of India, IFFI-2020 in Goa, for his first feature film, Bridge.
He began his career as a theatre director and actor. He has a reputation for directing over 60 stage plays. He is an AIR-approved ‘B’ high-graded drama artist.
The 52-minute long Manipuri documentary film on Konthoujam Maikel Meitei, a bomb blast victim, has been selected as part of the prestigious Indian Panorama Official Selection, paving the way for the Manipuri documentary film to be screened at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2022, which will be held from November 20 to 28 in Goa. The Indian Panorama is the IFFI’s flagship event.
Only 20 of the 242 non-feature films that competed for the national selection made the cut. Only two from northeast India made the cut: Saikhom Ratan’s ‘Beyond Blast’ (Manipur) and Kripal Kalita’s ‘Hatibondhu’ (Assam). In the feature film section, 354 feature films competed for selection, but only 25 were chosen.
