Tripura film at American, Europe and Australian festivals

Tripura film 'Yarwng' (Roots) will have its North American premiere tomorrow at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, it's director Joseph Pulinthanath said on Thursday.
   
The 95-minute Kokborok feature film is also scheduled to have its European premiere in Stuttgart and the Australian premiere in Brisbane in July, he said adding the New York Times recently called it "a rare glimpse into tribal India".
   
The overseas premiere is significant as this is the first time a film made in Kokborok, Tripura's tribal language, is being screened and discussed at important film events in the United States, Europe and Australia.
   
'Yarwng', released here in  September, takes a humanistic look at the large-scale displacement of indigenous people that took place in Tripura in the 1970s when the inhabitants of the fertile Raima valley in South Tripura were forcefully evicted to accommodate the Gumti hydel project.
   
'Yarwng' has already been to more than 20 International festivals within the country, including the last edition of IFFI in Goa where it was the inaugural film of the Indian panorama category. It also picked up a special jury mention award  at the 7th Asian film festival in Mumbai.    

"That a Kokborok film has been selected into presitigious festivals in the United States, Europe and Australia is ample evidence to the power of good cinema to transcend barriers of culture and language", Joseph Pulinthanath said.
   
"It is a matter of satisfaction that a film from our state and an issue of great importance to the people of the state will be highlighted in these three continents", he added.