Manipur film on women football club to open Goa film festival

Imphal: Acclaimed Manipuri filmmaker Meena Longjam’s “Andro Dreams” will be the opening non-feature section film of the Indian Panorama at the ensuing 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.The film portrays the journey of a women’s football club from a remote corner in Imphal East district.A total of 25 feature and 20 non-feature films will be screened at the nine-day festival to begin on November 20. Many other films of the northeast, including Waribam Dorendra Singh’s “Last Meet” (another Manipuri film), have also been selected in the non-feature section of the Indian Panorama, the key part of the festival. Dorendra is based in Guwahati.“I am extremely happy that ‘Andro Dreams’ has been selected as an opening film in the prestigious festival. I also hope that my film, showcasing how girls from a small village in Manipur can dream big, will come as a ray of hope for others,” Meena said on Tuesday.“Andro Dreams is the love story of Laibi, an old woman with a spirited soul and her three-decade-old all girls’ football club battling economic challenges, patriarchal system and orthodoxy at Andro, an ancient village of northeast India,” said Meena.“Laibi, who hails from Andro village has battled poverty, insurgency and patriarchy to successfully run this girls’ football club for the last 22 years,” she added. Meena and Dorendra’s feats came a week after two prominent Manipuri filmmakers — Mayanglambam Romi Meitei and Saikhom Ratan — received awards at the 29th National Film Awards 2021, New Delhi for their flicks “Eikhoigi Yum” (Our home) and “Beyond Blast” respectively.A doctorate degree holder in mass communication, Meena has won many awards in her decade-long career as a filmmaker — the most notable one being her 2015 win for the documentary film “Auto driver,” which showcased the struggles of Imphal’s first female auto-rickshaw driver .A jubilant Dorendra expressed his excitement about the opportunity to showcase his work and contribute to the rich tapestry of Indian cinema at the 54th IFFI.We also published the following articles recently