Manipuri filmmaker Syam’s ‘Ishanou’ to travel to film fests across the globe

Nov 30, 2023, 09:20 IST

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Manipuri filmmaker Syam’s ‘Ishanou’ to travel to film fests across the globe

Imphal: After three decades of its release, legendary Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma’s classic flick ‘Ishanou’ is travelling to film festivals across continents once again in 4K avatar.
Scheduled next month, the fiestas include Cinema Ritrovato Bolongo, Italy, The Heritage Film Festival, Berlin and Jio MAMI Mumbai. Ishanou will also be screened at Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes, France and Singapore International Film Festival.
Produced in 1990, Ishanou had been officially selected in the “Cannes Classic Section” of the Festival de Cannes, France in May this year, and the film was previously an official selection to the “Un Certain Regard Section” of Festival de Cannes in 1991.
Starring K Tomba and A Kiranmala, the 91-minute film deals with the Maibi (Meetei priestess) culture.

The octogenarian filmmaker observed that his film’s success was possible only because of the rich cultural heritage of Manipur.
“It’s the rich soil which gives us a unique cultural expression reflecting our identity. This very background has made the film possible,” said filmmaker Syam, a resident of Thangmeiband area in Imphal West district.
Doyen of Manipuri cinema, Syam still yearns to make more films, and he is responsible for putting Manipuri cinema on the global map. To his credit, he has 33 non-fiction and 15 fiction films, which bagged multiple awards and travelled prestigious festivals the world over.

“I would say that my devotion to cinema has paid off, and I am happy that a film based on the culture of a small community has been able to reach such heights,” he added.
Underlining that the 4K restoration has given a new lease of life to Ishanou, he expressed gratitude to the concerted efforts of Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) and Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS).

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