Key facts
- The film 'Angh,' shot in the Konyak tribal language from Nagaland, won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival.
- The award allows 'Angh' to be considered for the 2027 Academy Awards' International Feature Film category without needing an official national submission.
- Director Theja Rio's first feature film, 'Angh,' stars mostly first-time actors from Nagaland.
- The film is set in the early 1960s and follows an ageing Konyak chief and his son navigating societal changes and the spread of Christianity.
- Theja Rio aimed to reverse the traditional 'explorer's gaze' often directed at Nagaland's indigenous communities.
- The film was shot on 16mm film to emulate the texture of archival footage from the 1950s and 60s.
The film 'Angh,' a directorial debut from Nagaland's Theja Rio, has achieved a significant milestone by winning the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. This award provides a pathway for the Konyak-language film to be considered for the 2027 Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category, bypassing the traditional national submission process.
'Angh' hails from Nagaland, a northeastern Indian state with a population of fewer than two million people, and is spoken in Konyak, a language unfamiliar to most outside the region. The film's cast largely consists of first-time performers. The jury at TIFF recognized Rio's "refreshing perspective" and the film's portrayal of a seldom-seen world.
Rio described his surprise at the win, noting the presence of more seasoned directors in the competition. He revealed a past aspiration to be a rapper before turning to filmmaking, with influences ranging from hip-hop artist Black Thought to Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami.
Set in the early 1960s, 'Angh' centers on Anghba, the aging hereditary chief of a Konyak village, and his son. The narrative explores their lives as they navigate the spread of Christianity and the profound political and social changes occurring in Nagaland, which formally became an Indian state in December 1963. The film contrasts the traditional practices, such as headhunting historically associated with some Konyak men, with the encroaching modern world.
According to Dr. B Amo Konyak, a scholar of Konyak society, this period marked a significant transition where some ancient practices faded while others survived in fragmented forms, becoming heritage rather than everyday life. Rio aimed to capture this moment of transition and the widening generational gap.
Critic Siddhant Adlakha noted the film's nuanced portrayal of progress and tradition as potentially entwined rather than opposing forces. The film's visual style, shot on 16mm film by cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz, sought to replicate the grain and atmosphere of archival photographs and footage from the 1950s and 60s, shifting the perspective from an external observer to an internal subject.
Rio consciously worked to avoid the 'explorer's gaze' often found in previous depictions of Nagaland, instead inviting viewers to experience the world through the characters' eyes. Konyak advisers contributed to the dialogue, costumes, and production design, with many cast members being local performers. The film's setting, the forest, is treated as a living entity with history, akin to how an urban filmmaker might approach a city.
The production faced logistical challenges, including the inability to review 16mm footage on set and a difficult night shoot involving a vintage Jeep. Despite these hurdles, 'Angh' is positioned as part of a growing wave of Indian cinema, particularly from its northeastern regions.