Assamese film Pai Tang, meaning ‘Step of Hope’, has been selected for the 10th Shimla International Film Festival, which will be held from August 16. It is based on a true story of the endangered Tai Phake people who live in Assam.
Revealing the backstory, Prabal Khaund, the director, says, “Knowing very well that ethnic groups face the danger of going extinct along with their language, culture and heritage, I began researching on whether any such threatened ethnic entity existed in Assam, and discovered that one such ethnic group called Tai Phake had migrated as early as 1775 from the Hou Kong valley of Myanmar to Assam.
“As per the latest census, their population is only around two thousand. UNESCO has declared the status of their existence as threatened. The followers of Buddhism, the Tai Phake people brought along with around 400 manuscripts in 1775. These are preserved in their Monastery library. However, many in the young generation cannot read or write in their language, and do not even know the meaning of the texts of their 400 odd manuscripts.
“Pai Tang (this word, taken from their mother tongue, means ‘a step of hope’) depicts the real life of the Tai Phake people. The shooting location is their picturesque Namphake village of Naharkatiya, and many of the actors are from that ethnic group. I pray that this film will create sufficient awareness of the Tai Phake people and address their dilemma.”
Pai Tang had previously been screened at the Kolkata International Film Festival, the Bangalore International Film Festival, the Darbhanga International Film Festival, and the Northeast International Film Festival. It has been honoured with several prizes.
Director: Prabal Khaund
Screenplay: Prabal Khaund and Meenakshi Deka
Actors: Jnanapal Mahather, Hum Chen Winken, Nuk Chen Winken, Paim Thi Gohain
Cinematography: Papu Deka
Editor: Ramen Bora
Sound designer: Devjit Gayan
Music composer: Rajiv Kashyap
Singers: Ai Cha Thamaung and Je Hum Hailong
Producer: Nav Kumar Bhuyan
EP: Sangeeta Nath Bhuyan
Banner: Ans Entertainment