EMN
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 5
Curtains came down on the inaugural Kohima Documentary Film Festival at the State Academy Hall with the screening of GauravJani’s film One Crazy Ride. The concluding day of the festival witnessed the presence of 12th times national awards winner Jahnu Barua and national award winning filmmaker Gautam Bora.
Addressing viewers, mostly students, Barua who is an expert on child psychology encouraged students to develop the habit of watching documentaries. He also urged them to be rooted. “If you do not love your own self, your village and your culture, how can you love others,” he said while asking students to have an international outlook with firm rooted. He also urged them to be judicious in their choices. Filmmaker Gautam Bora, who later conducted a camera workshop for selected participants, in his speech spoke about the history of films. He also urged students that watching good films will also help them to select career options in their life.
Day Three of the festival saw the screening of Not my Life, a documentary on slavery and child trafficking by Oscar nominee American filmmaker Robert Bilheimer; Wild Meat Trail by Rita Banerjee, Chitranjali: Stefan Norblin in India, a Polish Institute presentation; Chess Players by British filmmaker Stephan Hilpert and ShekaliHolo’sBeyond Addiction.
Nearly 500 people, mostly students, viewed the documentaries on the final day. The festival saw a turnout of 1,553 viewers and screening of 22 documentaries.
