Aribam Syam’s ‘Ishanou’ to screen at Festival des 3 Continents

Imphal: Aribam Syam Sharma’s timeless film “Ishanou” (1990) will be screening at the prestigious Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France on December 1, 2023 at 8 pm in Salle 6 (K6) and on December 3, 2023 at 10:30 am in Salle 1 (K1), at the Cinéma Katorza.

“Ishanou” (The Chosen One) is a poignant tale of love and loss steeped in Manipuri culture that tells the story of Tampha, who abandons her husband and daughter to join the Maibi sect of priestesses, answering the deity’s inexorable call. But behind her absorption in the mystical world of the Maibis lurks the anguish of a mother alienated from her child. The film beautifully juxtaposes the spiritual world of the Maibis with the rhythm of ordinary life. The simplicity of the director’s approach, the delicate camerawork and understated acting, coupled with the vivid depiction of the Maibi culture and the use of the traditional music of Manipur, gives the film an authenticity that blends storytelling, documentary and ethnography.

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The film was restored by Film Heritage Foundation at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory and Prasad Corporation Pvt. Ltd.’s Post – Studios, Chennai, in association with the Producer and Director, Aribam Syam Sharma and Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS).

The three continents festival is an annual film festival held since 1979 in Nantes, France, devoted to the cinemas of Asia, Africa and Latin America. It was founded by Philippe and Alain Jalladeau. The top award in the festival’s competition is the balloon-shaped Montgolfiere d’or. In conjunction with the festival is the Produire au Sud (“Producers of the South”), a project that provides funding to independent film productions from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

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