Imphal: Haobam Paban Kumar’s third narrative feature in Manipuri languages Joseph’s Son is again in the limelight when it has been nominated among 14 films for the Alternativa Film Awards 2023 in Kazakhstan. The winners will be announced at the inaugural awards ceremony on December 2, 2023, at Almaty in Kazakhstan.
The nominated films are 12 Weeks by Anna Isabelle Matutina (Philippines), Childless Village by Reza Jamali (Iran), Bauryna Salu by Askhat Kuchinchirekov (Kazakhstan), Bride Kidnapping by Mirlan Abdykalykov (Kyrgyzstan), Cotton 100% by Michael Borodin (Uzbekistan), Haeil by Yujeong Noh, Yeeun Lee, Dabeen An and Soyeon Kim (South Korea), Joseph’s Son by Haobam Paban Kumar (India), No Winter Holidays by Rajan Kathet and Sunir Pandey (Nepal),Qoryqpa by Katerina Suvorova (Kazakhstan), Sunday by Shokir Kholikov (Uzbekistan), The Prisoner of Wakhan by Janyl Jusupjan (Kyrgyzstan), Tul (Orphan) by Sharipa Urazbayeva (Kazakhstan), Whispers of Fire & Water by Lubdhak Chatterjee (India) and Who’s Next? by Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva and Sultana Usuvaliev (Kyrgyzstan).
The Alternativa Film Awards is an integral part of the Alternativa Film Project driven by global tech company inDrive in Kazakhstan. Each film was meticulously selected by a committee of experts, including festival curators, film critics, directors, producers, and cultural journalists from Asia.
The Alternativa Film Awards place equal importance on each accolade, with each category carrying a cash prize of $20,000. The categories are Future Voice, Spotlight, Alter, Nativa, and Short Awards, recognizing directors set to significantly impact the film industry and society, highlighting crucial overlooked topics, addressing pressing social issues and celebrating films exploring national or cultural identity.
The Alternativa Film Awards presented an alternative system for recognizing professionals from different countries and providing a platform for the exchange of experience. It honours films that bring change to the world and society while appealing to a wide audience. Its mission is to find brave, new, unheard voices and amplify them on a global scale, to support filmmakers who need it most by providing resources and networking within the international community, and to strengthen the ties between cinema and social change.
Haobam Paban Kumar’s Joseph’s Son had its world premiere at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival in the main competition section held in June 2023. The film is produced by the National Film Development Corporation and co-produced by Oli Pictures, Imphal.The main protagonist is Guru Rewben Mashangva. The film is in Manipuri language consisting of different languages of Tangkhul, Meitei, Thadou Kuki and Rongmei. There are different characters like Tangkhul, Meitei, Thadou Kuki, Rongmei and Bihari from different communities in the film.The film is very relevant to the present crisis of ethnic clashes in Manipur. Joseph, a musician reluctantly sets out on the long journey to look for his missing son. As he travels, his fear grows deeper: a fear born of constant conflict – past and present – to which a personal fear is added.
Paban Kumar says, “As a storyteller, it’s very important that my films reflect my contemporary realities. Manipur is home to 35 different tribes and sub-tribes, each with its own language, culture and traditions. Today there is huge unrest in Manipur between the various ethnic groups fighting for their identity, land and forests. This is a story about the fear and uncertainty of people living in places torn by decades of insurgency and ethnic division”.
