Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi and Samvaad, in collaboration with Tata Steel Foundation, conducted Day 2 of their Indigenous film festival at IIM Ranchi permanent campus today.
The events started with the screening of the ethnographic documentary Johar, by the director, cinematographer and editor Abhijit Patro, who has been a part of several international film festivals, including the National Institute of Rural Development of India, the Whakapapa Film Festival of Italy, and the Global University Film Awards of Hong Kong, awarded the film. It also won the best film award at the Samvaad National Short Film Festival in India. The documentary speaks about an ethnic group called the Santhals, one of the largest tribal communities in India, but not a lot is known about its culture and traditions. This was followed by an illuminating and awe-inspiring storytelling session by Ledam Mardi about the tribal communities and their life in Jharkhand.
Next in line was Bandha Khet by Purushotam Kumar, also known as NPK, a Ranchi based Editor-Director. Translating directly to “Mortgaged Farm”, this movie was showcased at prestigious film festivals, including the Bangalore International Short Film Festival 2021, the International Folklore Film Festival 2022, APVIFF-South Korea 2022, and the Covid-19 International Tribal Film Festival 2021 where it won three awards. The story follows the tribulations of a tribal farmer named Nirlen (27), who is determined to reclaim his mortgaged farmland from a moneylender. Nirlen, emotionally attached to his land, approaches the moneylender to initiate negotiations regarding the loan terms. However, the moneylender stipulates that Nirlen must repay the debt within the time limit before tilling his field.
The next film being screened was Rat Trap, a film about rat-hole coal miners who risk their lives to earn a livelihood. Directed by Rupesh Sahu, a filmmaker who has made significant contributions to many of the documentary films released by Akhra Communication, it was an eye-opener for audience.
The last film to be screened was Jal Jangal Jameen, where the urgency of preserving tribal artwork in India against evolving artistic landscapes takes centre stage. The film centers around a unifying event organized by Samvaad, aimed at bringing together diverse tribal communities to paint their traditional art on a shared canvas collectively. Through the lens of Director Debanjan Majhi, the event's significance and joy unfold, highlighting the harmony between art, culture, and nature.
The 2-day event concluded with a felicitation ceremony to honour all of the directors, who engaged with the students, interacted with them, and spoke of their inspirations and motivations for the films they made, as well as all the dignitaries involved in the event.