‘My Mother My Village’, aN Odia non-fiction film gets selected for Indian Panorama 2024
Kapilas Bhuyan
The only film from Odisha that could make it to the Indian Panorama 2024 is ‘My Mother My Village’, a 63-minute non-fiction film directed by the renowned sound designer and director Subash Sahoo. The film is set in the backdrop of coastal Odisha and tells the story about Seba Bou, the last custodian of rural traditions and value system of the village from the point of view of a son (it’s Subash himself as a filmmaker).
For Subash it is partly autobiographical as he has been looking at the way things happening around in the village and in the other part the way his mother had positioned herself as a guiding force to the young girls reaching their puberty over generations. The film is made over 18 years from 2006 to 2024 while Subash had been visiting his village from Mumbai and recording footages.
Seba Bou, as the lady had been popularly known with the prefix of her daughter’s (Subash’s Sister) name, had groomed girls reaching puberty with all the set skills of stitching, weaving, artefacts making, cooking and mannerisms of greeting elders, etc. to become ideal daughter-in-laws and wives later in life.
Moreover, she had also taught girls ‘Kadana’ or the art of nostalgic longing for one’s own village and relatives while parting from or returning to own roots. Subash has witnessed all these while growing up in the village as a young boy and becoming an adult professional later in life.
It’s heartening to know that the film is selected to be part of the non-fiction section of Indian Panorama 2024, the annual showcase of best of the Indian films those which are made in that year. The films selected to the Indian Panorama are going to be screened on the sidelines of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held from November 20th to 28th at Goa.
However, it is to be noted that none of the Odia feature films could make it to this coveted platform. Thus ‘Mo Bou Mo Gaan’ or ‘My Mother My Village’ is no doubt a saving grace for all of us Odias.
(The writer is a Senior Journalist and National Award-winning Filmmaker. Views expressed are personal.)
