Guwahati: A documentary film called “Mask Art of Majuli,” which highlights the Satriya mask-making tradition of the renowned river island in Assam, has been selected for competition sections of the 29th Festival International des Cinémas d’Asie (FICA) in France and the 11th Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival.
The only Indian film among the eight chosen for the documentary competition, the 55-minute film which is directed by Utpal Borpujari and produced by the North East Regional Center of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), will have its international premiere at FICA which will be held in Vesoul city, France during February 28-March 7. IGNCA is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
One of the first Asian film festivals to be organised outside of Asia is FICA, also known as the Vesould International Film Festival of Asian Cinema. The movie will also be in competition at the Chennai Film Festival, which runs from February 20 to 28. It was previously aired during Kerala’s sixth Thrissur International Folklore Film Festival.
The crew of the film comprised Bhaskar Jyoti Das (associate director), Chida Bora (cinematographer), Diganta Bora (editor), Sourav Mahanta (background music), Debajit Gayan (sound design, editing and mixing) and Manjit Nath (production sound).
The video artistically depicts the mask-making tradition of Majuli focusing on the two families including the late Kosha Kanta Dev Goswami and Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner Dr. Hem Chandra Goswami who are keeping the tradition alive at the Natun Chamaguri Satra.
The Vaishnavaite saint, playwright, poet, social reformer and cultural icon Srimanta Sankardev introduced the masks, or “Mukha,” as they are known in Assamese as a crucial component in the performance of “Bhaona,” a style of dance drama that depicts well-known stories from Hindu mythology, particularly the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. These intricately crafted masks are produced by craftsmen utilising biodegradable materials in a distinctive and entirely organic manner.