Mumbai, 31 May 2022

 

‘The Galos’ and ‘The Songs We Sing, The Drums We Beat’ are two documentary films from Arunachal Pradesh that find their place in the special North East Film Package curated for #MIFF2022. When the directors of these two films Apak Gadi and Kombong Darang came together for a #MIFFDialogue on the sidelines of festival, it turned out to be an enlightening session on the not much known culture and civilization of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.

  

Opening the dialogue, Apak Gadi, director of ‘The Galos’ said that his film is an ethnographical study of Galos, the tribe which he belongs to. “ The food habits, housing pattern, beliefs, taboos and many other aspects of the tribe are dealt with in the film. People in plains are not aware of the culture of hills. Through this film I am trying to educate my Indian brothers and sisters about North East Indian people and their life”, he added. The film was sponsored by government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Kombong Darang, the Director of ‘The Songs We Sings, The Drums We Beat’ said that his film narrates how the Nocte tribe in Arunachal Pradesh breaks an age old tradition in their community to allow women to beat drums at a Logdrum installation ceremony. He added that the film also explores various aspects of  Kaasik language used by Nocte tribe. 

 

Brief on the films

The Galos

The film directed by Apak Gadi is based on an ethnographic study of a Central Himalayan tribe, the Galos, which are one of the many ancient tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. It explores the society and culture of the tribe including their knowledge traditions that include ancient medicine and food habits.

The Songs We Sings, The Drums We Beat

What happens when a community has to perform one of its most important traditions but even the eldest among them are unsure of how to do it? Caught in this quagmire, the Kaasik community, a subgroup of Nocte tribe of Tirap district in North East India embarks on a journey of reliving their past while reflecting on their future as a distinct culture. The film is directed by Kombong Darang.  

About the Director

Apak Gadi

Apak Gadi is an independent filmmaker and editor from Arunachal Pradesh. He completed his masters in journalism and communication.

Kombong Darang

Kombong Darang is an independent filmmaker from Arunachal Pradesh who was selected as on the first film fellows for the Dharamshala International Film Festival (2014) for his film Walkings the City. His films include Ngok Miri Dekke Yoyo-Gaga Goktuanam Kidding (Those Songs Lullabies Used to Sing).

 

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PIB MIFF Team | BSN/AA/DR/MIFF-31

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