What’s On

LOKTAK LAIRAMBEE (LADY OF THE LAKE)

Manipuri with English subtitles, 91 min, 2016
Directed by Haobam Paban Kumar

The feted documentary filmmaker, Haobam Paban Kumar, wades into fiction with his feature film– ‘Loktak Lairambee’ or ‘Lady of the Lake’ but keeps his feet on both the boats. Set in the unique socio-ecosystem of the Loktak Lake in Manipur, it expands on a fiction story by Sudhir Naoroibam but freely includes verite sequences and people from the fishing community living on the Phumdis (floating vegetation). In 2011, many huts built on the Phumdis, were burnt down by the Lake authorities leaving thousands homeless. Paban had shot a documentary, ‘Phum Shang’ (Floating Life) around this event. In his fiction film set against the same backdrop, he casts a real life couple from his documentary Tomba and Thambalsang as an on-screen couple. Tomba lives out a harrowing nightmare of looming displacement since the evictions on the lake. He is haunted by fear of further intervention of authorities that would make him homeless forever. Confined in his makeshift hut, Tomba senses the spirit of evil around, while his wife Thambalsang works hard to make a living. One fine morning, Tomba accidentally finds hidden within a phumdi, a gun.

‘Lady of the Lake’ last showed in the city during Mumbai Film Festival 2016 where it won the Best Film Award (India). It has been screened and awarded widely – Busan, Berlin, Dubai, IFFLA, Pune, Agartala among many other festivals. It won the Best Environmental Film at the latest National Film Awards.

The film will be introduced and discussed by film maker Mamta Murthy.

About the Director:

Haobam Paban Kumar is a SRFTII, Kolkata graduate who came to prominence with the film ‘AFSPA 1958’ winning the International Jury and FIPRESCI award at the 9th Mumbai International Film Festival 2006. He has had an impressive run since with many accolades including four National Awards and six Indian Panorama selections to his credit.

About Mamta Murthy:

The film will be presented by filmmaker Mamta Murthy whose documentary ‘Fried Fish, Chicken Soup & a Premiere Show’ is set in Manipur and tells the story of its people through their cinema.

About Movies at the Museum

Launched on April 3rd 2015, 'Movies at the Museum' is a monthly screening programme, curated by filmmaker and cinematographer, Avijit Mukul Kishore, and architect and urban designer, Rohan Shivkumar. The programme includes films and videos made in different genres – documentary, fiction, animation and visual art. Film, art and academic practitioners are invited from time to time to engage in discussion on their work. The screenings are free and open to public.

Presenting the history of painting from the Palettes collection by Alain Jaubert starting with painters of Antiquity. Three fims will be screened during the course of the event.

Euphronios – Cratère d’Héraclès et Antée / The crater of Héraclès and Antée (510 BC) by Alain Jaubert & Pascal Vimenet (30′)

Fayoum – Le dernier regard /The last look (117-138 BC) by Alain Jaubert (30′)

Pompéi – Cérémonies secrètes / Secret ceremonies (70 BC) by Alain Jaubert (30′)