Screened at the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival 2023, Haobam Paban Kumar’s Manipuri-Tangkhul feature film Nine Hills One Valley delineates the contemporary times of conflict-ridden Manipur through cinema.
The film embarks on a captivating journey with Anam Ahum, the protagonist, spearheading the plot, as he travels to Imphal to meet his daughter before she leaves for New Delhi for better opportunities. Throughout the journey, he encounters people from diverse backgrounds, who serve as windows into the multifaceted realities of Manipur. Each conversation becomes a gateway to understanding the nuanced layers of identity, aspirations, and grievances woven into the fabric of the society, and the audience is familiarised with what lies beneath the picturesque landscapes of Manipur.
The film, during its initial pace, along with the conversations, has a fair chance of taking one back to Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry, where not only the stories of different people manage to take centre stage, but also the terrains of Manipur, making the audience a part of the journey.
The conversations between the protagonist and representatives of various communities unveil the simmering tensions and aspirations within Manipur. These dialogues transcend mere verbal exchanges as they delve into the collective psyche of a region grappling with historical injustices, political upheavals, and the struggle for self-determination.
In the runtime of 75 minutes, the film feels so close to reality that it gives the impression of a docudrama. From a grieving woman who lost her family members to ethnic clashes to a missing football player suspected of having joined a militant group, the film holds the ability to evoke a lot of emotions, especially in the minds of people belonging to Northeast India, through heart-wrenching narratives that paint a poignant picture of what the people in Manipur get subjected to, as a consequence of conflicts, from time to time.
Along with being a reflection of present-day Manipur, the film also shows cinematic beauty through the execution of dialogues like voice-over montages, a significant portion of back shots, and wide-angle shots showcasing the state’s natural beauty. What is also worth mentioning is the simplicity of the people portrayed through different characters, and traditional music stealing the show in a particular scene, which makes the film stay true to the roots of the regions highlighted.
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It can be said that Nine Hills One Valley emerges as a film worth a watch, especially at times like this when Manipur is still not free from the clutches of ethnic conflicts. During the film, the audience can find bits and pieces of Manipur painted by the verbal brushstrokes of ordinary people who live, breathe, and experience the state every day of their lives.
The film has been produced by Oli Pictures and was among 19 feature films selected for the Film Bazaar Recommends (FBR) section of the Film Bazaar 2020. It had its world premiere at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2021, Indonesia. It may be mentioned that Paban Kumar’s debut feature- Loktak Lairembee secured the Best Film for NETPAC Award at the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival 2016.
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