'Yarwng' - a celluloid remake of the trodden path

THE HINDU Sunday, February 1, 2009 : 1140 Hrs

New Delhi, (PTI): Kokborok means 'language of the people' and ironically it turned out to be the "dying" mother tongue of a group of marginalised tribals in Tripura and a movie embodied their untold aspirations to revive the vernacular.

For the people of Debbarma, Tripuri and Jamatia tribes, the film "Yarwng" (Roots) was a visual re-enactment of their own story and a celluloid expression of their struggles in life. When they watched it in their villages with the help of LCD projectors, they beamed and tears welled in their eyes.

For Joseph Pulinthanath, director of the feature film, there was a satisfaction of helping the people recollect and re-live their pride and that is the storyline of "Yarwng" -- a celluloid remake of the trodden path.

"It was really a determined effort to revive a tribal language that is on the verge of extinction. Even the thought of making a film on tribal life and the very storyline (displacement), came from the narrations of the people," the director told PTI about the film's objective.

The film was screened in many international festivals, but for the
crew, the greater accolade came from the aghast village audience who identified themselves with many of the movie's characters.

"Tribals saw themselves on the screen. They watched their own story being re-told. It prodded them to recollect their past struggles and present silent miseries," Joseph, who might be the first catholic priest to venture into film direction, said.

http://www.hindu.com/holnus/009200902011140.htm