Ukhrul: Sorenzan Vashum, self-taught photographer based in Ukhrul who is now a well-known photographer/videographer among many, ventured into visual arts as a hobby starting with a mobile phone, making stop animations. His photography footprints can be traced back two years ago, since then he has come a long way. He now works as a professional wedding photographer and makes music videos for his YouTube channel. His most recent work, A documentary based on a real-life story titled My Story is God’s Story submitted for a videography competition ‘The Big Shorts Challenge, Northeast India’ hosted by ABC Talkies garnered the top amount of views making him the winner of the competition.
‘The Big Short Challenge’ hosted by ABC Talkies focuses mainly on the Northeast states. It is an opportunity for talented filmmakers from the Northeastern region of India to showcase their skills in the form of a short film challenge open exclusively to the eight Northeast states.
The Ukhrul-based photographer through the short film seeks to inspire and testify to the miracles of faith.
“I was inspired by a testimony shared by Chanmayo Kashung in the OASIS Youth Point fellowship led by Lummi Horam. Chanmayo shared her testimony and I was deeply blessed by her story. I thought of making a music video with her song, but with my busy schedule I had to put the idea on hold. But one day, the opportunity presented itself when Yursari Ngalung introduced me to the short film contest and told me to at least try for experience. So I decided to make a film with Chanmayo’s story. Although it was my first experience with short films, through her story, I seek to inspire and testify to the miracles of faith,” said Sorenzan.
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The real-life story-based film tells the story of a 19-year-old girl, named Chanmayo who was diagnosed with a very rare dermatological disorder called pustular psoriasis when she was just six years old. Her rare condition causes her skin cells to reproduce much faster than the normal rate.
The video centers around her life story, portraying the struggles and hardships of living with her medical condition and her acceptance in Christ along with her family’s unwavering faith and prayer, and her resilient faith in God despite the painful circumstances. The video wraps with a happy ending with her singing in a fellowship, her transition from pain to leading a normal life.
It is interesting to know that Chanmayo Kashung starred in the film herself giving the short film a personal and authentic feel.
The winner of the competition was decided based on the number of views the video receives and the films that garner the highest-grossing amount between July 1, 2022 to July 31, 2022 video.
“We were able to complete and submit the project on time because of our tiny but tenacious team, who provided all of the creative ideas from our own enthusiasm and expertise. Our deadline was quite short. I had barely seven days left when I spotted the poster. So we made an effort to finish everything in seven days. Three shooting days and two editing days. I estimate that this project cost me about Rs 11,000. Since this was a personal endeavor, I didn’t make any plans regarding the budget and did my best to cover everything on a modest budget,” added Sorenzan.
ABC Talkies founded in 2021 is a Cinema Marketplace. It is a platform where filmmakers can showcase their work for free and monetize their creations, a platform to promote independent, amateur, and new filmmakers.
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