By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, November 4: The films at this year’s special local interest program ‘Spotlight on Kangra Valley’ featuring Mane de Phere, Didi Contractor and Asmad received a great reception on the second day of the 5th Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) at UPPER TCV School.
‘Didi Contractor: Marrying the Earth to the Building’ is about an 86-year old American-born contractor who has been combining the rural tradition with modern domestic needs to built eco-friendly houses in the Kangra Valley for over 20 years.
Having seen the final version of the documentary for the first time, Didi in a cheerful mood said it (journey) would not have been possible without the help from her team and close associates.
Shot in over two years, German Director Steffi Giaracuni, who has known Didi for over 12 years said that lots of research and help from her 30-crew members have led to this day.
“I feel really proud that the movie has screened here where Didi lives and everyone knows her. It was a very special reception, which I would have never got anywhere else in the world,” Steffi said, adding that DIFF has been a unique experience for her.
As for the two other movies, Sanjeev Kumar’s ‘Mane de Phere’ and Prabhijit Dhamijia’s short ‘Asmad’ were also well received by the audience who stayed late braving the chilling onset of Dharamshala’s winter.
Asmad, a short movie shot in a beautiful village near Palampur tells a tale of how Sunny, the protagonist, over comes the guilt of his mother’s death after consulting his guru, who explains the meaning of ‘self’, consciousness, suffering and free will.
“DIFF says independent cinema, but it is not an independent process. It is really an inter-dependent process and it takes a lot of effort,” said Prabhjit Dhamija, Asmad’s Director who was accompanied by his cast and crew at its Indian premiere.
Asmad was followed by ‘Mane de Phere’, a Gaddi language feature about an orphan who grows up to be a responsible citizen but neglects his own needs in the process—ending up single and lonely.
The movie was well received with local residents from Gamru and Naddi village attending in numbers especially for the movie directed by a local filmmaker.
