Inanimate objects have been the subject of films in the past. Award-winning Manipuri documentary Phum Shang , which was screened in the city recently, is also one such work – it chronicles life on the Loktak Lake.
The 52-minute film throws light on the interesting lake located in the North East, which has biomass floating for several years. Over time, fishermen communities have made it their dwelling place. “They have erected huts on top of it. The concept of lake dwellings is interesting, and people should know about this,” says the project’s sound engineer Sukanta Majumdar, who received the Bala Kailasam award instituted by the Cinema Rendezvous Trust, on behalf of its director Haobam Paban Kumar.
The documentary showcases not just their dwellings, but also the aftermath of the 2011 decision by the Government to burn down the huts to clean the lake. Phum Shang aptly depicts the ethnic affinity that the fishermen have for this place; their anger over the forced eviction.
Phum Shang has no actors; it just has the fishermen going about their everyday life and talking about the lake they love. It throws special light on the women in the area, who contribute more to the family’s income and are extremely rebellious, especially against the Government decision.
According to Sukanta, who is currently working on a feature film on the same subject, “Women are the decision makers here. I got to know them personally during the shoot of this film. They are as powerful as depicted.”
(with inputs from Akshaya Iyer)
