Some Roots Grow Upwards

title Some Roots Grow Upwards
length, format, year 55 minutes, Mini DV, 2003
genre Documentary
director Kavita Joshi & Malati Rao
producer Public Service Broadcasting Trust
synopsis Some Roots Grow Upwards is shot in the city of Imphal in Manipur, a region ravaged by violence and insurgency. Against this backdrop, it explores the work of acclaimed theatre director Ratan Thiyam.
 
For over 25 years now, Ratan Thiyam has been creating a theatre that is as visually compelling as it is intellectually stimulating. His theatre is steeped in the traditional performing arts of his home state, Manipur. But while his aesthetic influences are traditional, his concerns are intensely modern. His plays reflect upon the socio-political crisis gripping the region, the youth unrest, war and violence; at the same time, they also dwell on the larger human condition.
 
The film seeks insights into the art of Thiyam – in portraits of the city where he works, in the quiet beauty of the terrain, in the violent riots that tore the land apart, in the living traditions that come alive at festive time… Formally, it is a juxtaposition of the ‘lived’ and the ‘staged’.
 
The film was made over 1 year and several trips to Imphal.
festivals, awards, broadcasts Awards: Best Film (adults) · Technical Excellence (Sound) · Citation for Film on the Arts and Culture, at the UGC CEC Video Awards 2003
 
Festivals: · India: Many Faces: Zuiderpershuis World Centre. Antwerp, Belgium 2004 · Vikalp: Films for Freedom. Mumbai. Chennai. Thiruvananthapuram 2004 · Films For Freedom: Bangalore, Delhi 2004 · Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival 2004 (to be held) · KaraFilm Festival. Karachi 2004 (to be held) · SPIC MACAY Virasat, Delhi 2004 · Small Films in a Smaller World. Trichur 2004 · Wisdom Tree Film Festival, celebrating 40 years of FTII. Pune 2003 · PSBT UNESCO Film Festival. Delhi 2003 · IVFEST 2003, Thiruvananthapuram · Crimson Feet Fireworks. Ahmedabad, 2003 · Documela 2003, Gurgaon and others
contact Kavita Joshi & Malati Rao
277, SFS Apartments, Hauz Khas
New Delhi, 110016
impulse@bol.net.in
malati@temple.edu
distributor Impulse Films , Media & Design
277, SFS Apartments, Hauz Khas
New Delhi 110016