
IDFFB
5th Indian Documentary Film Festival Bhubaneswar was organized from 26th to 29th September at the Odissi Research Centre, XIMB Square.
The festival line up focuses on contemporary documentary films from across the country. It will have a retrospective on the documentary films of Manipuri filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar. Filmmakers from different parts of India will grace the festival with their presence and interact with the people of the city.
The festival poster is based on a poem called 'The Second Olive Tree' by Mahmoud Darwish.
Documentaries at IDFFB 2024
Fly past, Hornbill
Amit Mahanti
Nagamese
10
|
2022
The Hornbill Festival in Nagaland is an annual state-sponsored event spread over several days in Kisama (Naga Heritage Village), where the culture of different Naga tribes is show-cased. Fly Past, Hornbill is a video essay that unpacks different layers of the festival – the performance and staging of culture, the engagement of tourists, commercialisation, political instrumentalization and military presence.

The Orchard and the Pardes
Renu Savant
Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
144
|
2024
In 2021, the filmmaker lived and recorded in Ratnagiri, documenting the lives of four Nepalese migrant laborers in a mango orchard. The film, The Orchard and the Pardes reveals power struggles between the workers, their employer, and the filmmaker, and explores the complexities of power dynamics at the micro level.

If I Could Tell You
Niharika Popli
English, Indian Sign Language
70
|
2015
If I Could Tell You invites viewers to reflect on the universal human need for expression and the many different ways we all strive to communicate our truths

B25
Raqeeb and Manvendra
Hindi, English
34
|
2024
Inside the walls of B25 is a sanctuary, where lives intersect, stories intertwine and people flourish. The film offers glimpses of these unconventional bonds and experiences, that reframe notions of home and belonging, while reflecting on queerness, love, chosen families, gender, violence, identity and freedom, against the backdrop of a rapidly changing country.

Hello Guyzz!
Samiksha Mathur
Bengali, Hindi, English
24
|
2023
Hello Guyzz! is a reflection of modern day India, where cheap internet, longing to become the next big star, and high aspirations are a reality. But so are class, caste and gender differences.

Slaves of the Empire
Rajesh James
Malayalam
51
|
2024
Slaves of the Empire unfolds against the backdrop of colonial-era Fort Kochi, a picturesque town in Kerala. The film delves deep into the ordinary existence of a dhobi community, laundry workers who were enslaved by the Dutch during the colonial era.

Against the Tide
Sarvnik Kaur
Marathi, Hindi, Koli
97
|
2023
Two friends, both indigenous Koli fishermen in Bombay, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families.

In Between Us
Rajkumar Prajapati & Ruchika Negi
Hindi
35
|
2023
Humare Beech Mein is a conversation between two women about making a film on caste. How do we film caste? What do we show? What do we hide? Who has access? Who refrains?

The books we made
Anupama Chandra and Umadevi Tanuku
Hindi, English
68
|
2016
The Books We Made' is a documentary inspired by the work of Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon, both of whom co-founded the first feminist publishing house in India: 'Kali for Women'. The film is about the joy and pain of surviving in two non-lucrative professions: that of writing for small, discerning audiences, and that of publishing, translating and promoting work barely known outside its own linguistic region in India.

Flickering Lights
Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta
Tangkhul
90
|
2000
In Tora, an Indian village on the border with Myanmar, the rhythm of life is set by daylight and darkness. But the village is on the verge of change: electricity is finally coming. Will it bring this close-knit community the progress it is hoping for?

Umbro
Prachee Bajania
Gujarati
34
|
2024
Umbro, the threshold of a home, is the liminal space that speaks to the lives of women, including the filmmaker's mother and her friends who live in the small town of Dhrangadhra in Gujarat, India. The film explores joyful friends...

Rasan Piya
Niharika Popli
Hindi
80
|
2015
'Rasan Piya' is a documentary on the life of renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, who represented the 16th generation of Miyan Tansen's lineage. The film explores the various influences that have shaped his life and music, a life steeped in the rich culture of Awadh.

Meelon Dur
Megha Acharya
Bundeli, Hindi
50
|
2023
The everyday lives of three female labourers working in a brick kiln takes an upsetting turn after an unexpected rainfall halts their work. What unfolds is a threatening tale of unorganized labour and economic debts in a rapidly urbanizing India.

In no Sence
Gia Singh Arora
English
16
|
2023
In no sense, takes us on an intimate journey through a woman's complex relationship with the haunting reality of child sexual abuse. Through a unique interplay of movement and behind-the-scenes moments, it explores the complexities of trauma and attachment, memory and the body, inviting reflections on the possibility of healing and recovery.

My Grandfather’s House
Alvina Joshi
Marathi
28
|
2023
The director visits her late grandfather's house to mourn his death with her grandmother. Once there, ugly truths about what kind of a man her grandfather was begin to surface.

I will come back dancing in the dunes
Christiane Mordelet and Stanzin Dorjai Gya
Mongolian
72
|
2024
Otgo, 11, is the youngest of a family of herders in the Gobi desert. Proud of her freedom when she sings on her camel, alone among the dunes, lovingly caring for baby animals, listening carefully to her father's advice, happy when dancing on the stage of her village while dreaming of becoming a dancer in Ulan Bator's Opera, will she be strong enough to follow a different path cut off from her roots?

Trolley Times
Gurvinder Singh
Punjabi
153
|
2023
'Trolley Times' is a portrayal of the historic and the largest sit-in protest, perhaps ever staged in the world, primarily by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana on the borders of Delhi from November 2020 to December 2021 against the three new farm laws passed by the Union government. The title itself is derived from the newsletter 'Trolley Times' that was started as a voice of the protest by a group of activists.

Insides and Outsides
Arab Ahmed
Hindi, English, Urdu
54
|
2024
In an increasingly hostile environment of escalating violence, discrimination and disenfranchisement, Arbab explores what it is like being a Muslim in the country. The film ebbs and flows between looking outside in his surroundings, where a constant stream of hate erupts and engulfs all sides, and inside, where Arbab’s parents back home renegotiate their sense of identity with a changing political reality.

All That Perishes at the Edge of Land
Hira Nabi
Urdu
31
|
2019
A ship berthed at Gadani and the shipbreakers coming from all over Pakistan to break it, discovers that they might have more in common than otherwise imagined, when they enter into a conversation

Ginger Biscuit
Sudha Padmaja Francis
Malayalam
63
|
2024
The long history of baking in North Kerala from 1880s to its everyday practice and labour today, intermingled with filmmaker's own memories of it.

Indiras Emargency
Vikramaditya Motwane, Archana Phadke, Arya Rothe
Hindi, nglish
112
|
2023
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abruptly proclaimed a 'internal emergency' in June 1975, imprisoning her opponents and stifling the media. The largest democracy in the world endured a virtual dictatorship for 21 months.

Dekho Main Hoon
Gia Singh Arora
Hindi, English
23
|
2022
A small film crew observes the poetic world of renowned Bharatanatyam exponent, choreographer, and teacher Navtej Singh Johar through a three day workshop at his home in Sonipat, Haryana. The participants go through an introspective journey through movement as they explore touch, intimacy, and expression. As questions emerge in space, the borders between observing, capturing and thinking being collide.

Andro Dreams
Meena Longjam
Manipuri
63
|
2023
Andro Dreams is the love story of Laibi, an old woman with spirited soul, and her three-decade old all girls football club battling economic challenges, patriarchal system and orthodoxy in an ancient village of northeast India.

And, Towards Happy Alleys
Sreemoyee Singh
Persian, English
75
|
2023
And Towards Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran which also provides a frank view of daily life and bears witness to a fearless generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties.

Prisoner No. 626710 is Present
Lalit Vachani
Hindi, English
60
|
2023
Prisoner No. 626710 waits interminably for a bail hearing in court…Meanwhile, two friends who await his release reminisce and discuss the events and the circumstances that led to his incarceration.

No City for Women
Rangan Chanravarty
English
94
|
2023
Gurgaon, India's Millennium City, promises many opportunities - but, for women, it also poses specific challenges. Through women's personal narratives, the film explores their experiences of living and working in Gurgaon and illuminates the gendered nature of urban Indian life.

Retrospective: Haobam Paban Kumar
Pabung Syam
Haobam Paban Kumar
Manipuri
52
|
2020
The documentary "Pabung Syam," directed by Haobam Paban Kumar, serves as a tribute to the life and work of Aribam Syam Sharma, the pioneering filmmaker and luminary of Manipuri cinema. The film offers a glimpse into the esteemed career of Syam Sharma, exploring his profound contributions to Manipuri cinema and culture, his philosophies on life and art, and his enduring impact on the region's filmmaking.

Mr India
Haobam Paban Kumar
English
47
|
2020
The life and achievements of HIV-positive bodybuilder K. Pradipkumar, who won the Mr Manipur title in 2007 and several other laurels in other competitions at national levels.

Nupishabi (Female Impersonator)
Haobam Paban Kumar
Manipuri
52
|
2010
Sumang Leela or Courtyard Play is one of the most popular art forms of Manipur. One of the main attractions of this theatre is the Nupishabi or Female Impersonator. In this theatre no female can act, so male perform female roles. In brief it is a socially accepted tradition where males can become a female in front of the common people.

AFSPA, 1958
Haobam Paban Kumar
Manipuri
77
|
2006
During lntegraion of Manipur in 1949, a large portion of Manipuri population was resistant, believing the merger to be an illegal and illegitimate annexation. To curb these 'separatists,' the government adopted the Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958, allowing officers to search and arrest based on mere suspicion, also to shoot and kill at will.

The First Leap
Haobam Paban Kumar
English
28
|
1976
The artiste of the first feature film of Manipur is meeting after a gap of 37 years. They meet, had lunch together and for the first time in 37 years they are watching the first feature film of Manipur - Matamgee Manipur together.

Phum-Shang (Floating Life)
Haobam Paban Kumar
Manipuri
52
|
2014
In 2011, Manipur government burnt down hundreds of huts in Loktak Lake, in the pretext of cleaning the lake and blaming the locals for the pollution of the lake. Thousands of fishermen were displaced, became homeless and their livelihood snatched. With nowhere to go, the fisherpeople still continue to fight the authorities. They continue to fight a losing battle, where the administration challenge their relationship with the lake, since they live on floating huts, built on floating biomass or ‘Phumdis’

Director's Present
Flickering Lights
Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta
Tangkhul
90
|
2000
In Tora, an Indian village on the border with Myanmar, the rhythm of life is set by daylight and darkness. But the village is on the verge of change: electricity is finally coming. Will it bring this close-knit community the progress it is hoping for?

Indiras Emargency
Vikramaditya Motwane, Archana Phadke, Arya Rothe
Hindi, nglish
112
|
2023
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abruptly proclaimed a 'internal emergency' in June 1975, imprisoning her opponents and stifling the media. The largest democracy in the world endured a virtual dictatorship for 21 months.

Prisoner No. 626710 is Present
Lalit Vachani
Hindi, English
60
|
2023
Prisoner No. 626710 waits interminably for a bail hearing in court…Meanwhile, two friends who await his release reminisce and discuss the events and the circumstances that led to his incarceration.

The Orchard and the Pardes
Renu Savant
Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
144
|
2024
In 2021, the filmmaker lived and recorded in Ratnagiri, documenting the lives of four Nepalese migrant laborers in a mango orchard. The film, The Orchard and the Pardes reveals power struggles between the workers, their employer, and the filmmaker, and explores the complexities of power dynamics at the micro level.

Slaves of the Empire
Rajesh James
Malayalam
51
|
2024
Slaves of the Empire unfolds against the backdrop of colonial-era Fort Kochi, a picturesque town in Kerala. The film delves deep into the ordinary existence of a dhobi community, laundry workers who were enslaved by the Dutch during the colonial era.

The books we made
Anupama Chandra and Umadevi Tanuku
Hindi, English
68
|
2016
The Books We Made' is a documentary inspired by the work of Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon, both of whom co-founded the first feminist publishing house in India: 'Kali for Women'. The film is about the joy and pain of surviving in two non-lucrative professions: that of writing for small, discerning audiences, and that of publishing, translating and promoting work barely known outside its own linguistic region in India.

Rasan Piya
Niharika Popli
Hindi
80
|
2015
'Rasan Piya' is a documentary on the life of renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, who represented the 16th generation of Miyan Tansen's lineage. The film explores the various influences that have shaped his life and music, a life steeped in the rich culture of Awadh.

Against the Tide
Sarvnik Kaur
Marathi, Hindi, Koli
97
|
2023
Two friends, both indigenous Koli fishermen in Bombay, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families.

Insides and Outsides
Arab Ahmed
Hindi, English, Urdu
54
|
2024
In an increasingly hostile environment of escalating violence, discrimination and disenfranchisement, Arbab explores what it is like being a Muslim in the country. The film ebbs and flows between looking outside in his surroundings, where a constant stream of hate erupts and engulfs all sides, and inside, where Arbab’s parents back home renegotiate their sense of identity with a changing political reality.


