National Awards may soon have a category for ladakhi films. The ladakh International Film Festival has helped the region enormously in just two years. The festival founder chatted with K Bhardwaj
You might have seen many Bollywood movies shot in ladakh. But chances are less that you came across films made by ladakhi filmmakers. Thanks to the ladakh International Film Festival, that the community has found a global platform to showcase its talent. What’s more commendable is the fact that the National Awards may soon have a competitive category of ladakhi films. Five films are being considered to compete in this category, which may be announced during this or next year.
“The lIFF has helped the region tremendously. The film community has found a platform and we can see in which direction it is moving. I came to a village in ladakh in 2008 to shoot a film. After nature’s fury, that entire village was washed away. I felt strongly about the region and returned to realise that the place was being exploited by miners and other ruthless people. During that time, I got to know of ladakh Cultural and Film Society which was helping local filmmakers and talent,” says Melwyn Williams Chirayath, festival director and founder. There are about 35-40 films being made by ladakhi people every year. last year, when lIFF debuted in the region, these films couldn’t even qualify. This year, three films got selected and two of them, Jungwa and lone Issue, even won the awards.
“There are multiple reasons why film industry grew in this region. A lot of films are being shot in ladakh. So, production houses take assistance of local people by training them. It invoked interest in cinema. Secondly, majority of ladakhi youth, who are interested in cinema, enroll in best of Indian institutes to learn filmmaking. They come back and make movies here. Now, there is lIFF, which is bringing globally acclaimed films and their makers to interact with the audience. I can see a lot of collaborations and synergies happening between Indian and ladakhi professionals,” informs Melwyn.
At a time when Chinese incursion into the Indian territory has become a crucial issue, lIFF is serving the national cause. The two-year-old festival has garnered attention from domestic and international shores with many acclaimed movies and filmmakers turning into loyal visitors. “The area has a visible Chinese influence. But we are connecting ladakhi people and youth with the Indian mainland. The cinema is the best medium to revive ties and consolidate relationships,” says Melwyn, adding that the just-concluded edition has helped the state enormously with over 50,000 guests. The festival was originally scheduled in June-July but was postponed due to Uttarakhand tragedy.
However, surprisingly there is absolutely no state support. There are number of challenges which the organisers face. “Government is not at all interested. We had hopes from corporates and aviation industry but they are not helping either. Unfortunately, the airlines hike fares as we announce the festival dates which only discourage people to fly,” he says.
