Wikipedia

Semkhor

Semkhor is a 2021 Indian Dimasa-language film directed by Aimee Baruah. This was the first-ever film in the Dimasa language screened as the opening feature film of the Indian Panorama in 2021. The film depicts the life of a village lady, a mother of 14 children.[1][2][3]

Semkhor
Directed byAimee Baruah
Written bySasanka Samir
Screenplay byJintumoni Kalita, Sasanka Samir, Uday Bhaskar Patar, Aimee Baruah
Produced byAimee Baruah, Mala Baruah
StarringAimee Baruah
CinematographyPradip Daimary
Edited byRantu Chetia
Music byAmrit Pritam
Production
company
Aimee Baruah Production Society
Distributed byRajat Goswami
Release date
  • 2021 (2021)
Running time
93 min
LanguageDimasa

Synopsis

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A Samsa man named Diro participates in the hangseu bisu in a nearby hamlet, which results in his confinement and eventual death. As a result, Diro's wife is left in charge of raising his three kids alone. She has a variety of events while working as an assistant midwife that she loathes. If a woman dies while she is pregnant, Semkhor tradition dictates that the newborn be buried with the mother alive. At the age of just 11, Diro's widow married Dinar to her one and only daughter, Muri. Sadly, Muri passes away right after giving birth to a girl. How Diro's wife gives Muri's child fresh life in a culture where women aren't even allowed to make decisions is like a sign of a new dawn in Semkhor.[4]

Cast

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Awards

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Year Award Category Result
2022 68th National Film Awards Special Jury Mention Won[5]
Best Feature Film in Dimasa Won
2022 20th Dhaka International Film Festival Award Special Audience Award Won[6]
2021 Kautik International Film Festival Best Feature Film Won
2021 Toronto International Women Film Festival Best Actress Won

Reception

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  • The heroine and her various misfortunes serve as the vehicle via which Aimee Baruah deftly explores a wide range of social and cultural concerns and evils. The visual depiction of the town where the story takes place away from the bustle of city life.[7]

Controversy

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  • The Dimasa people said in a letter to the president that the movie had given a distorted account of their rituals, traditions, and way of life. Additionally, the Dimasa organizations pleaded with the president to stop any press coverage of the movie's director, Aimee Baruah.[8][9][10][11]
  • Aimee Baruah, the film's director, is the subject of a FIR for allegedly "misrepresenting" Dimasa culture and feeding prejudices against the group.[12][13][14][15]
  • At least five Dimasa organizations claim that an infant who was 84 days old died while Aimee Baruah's Semkhor, which has been the subject of intense controversy, was being filmed.[16][10][17]

References

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  1. ^ TodayNE, India (12 February 2022). "'Semkhor', Dimasa language film by Aimee Baruah, to be screened at Berlin International Film Festival". India Today NE. India Today. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  2. ^ Mallick, Sharmili (7 November 2020). "A youth from Odisha will be seen in a lead role in an international movie 'Semkhor'- based on the life of the indigenous Dimasa tribe of Assam, a north-eastern state of India". Odisha TV. Odisha TV. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  3. ^ Dash, Devleena (1 June 2022). "Assam's Aimee Baruah Marks An Impressive Debut At The Cannes". Femina. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Pune International Film Festival". www.piffindia.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  5. ^ Bureau, The Hindu (22 July 2022). "68th National Film Awards | Updates". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 July 2022. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ "Award 2022 | DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  7. ^ Chatterjee, Ambar (25 September 2022). "Poignant & heart-wrenching, Aimee Baruah's 'Semkhor' is bound to stir up a storm". EastMojo. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Dimasas request President Murmu to stop screening of national award-winning film 'Semkhor'". EastMojo. Press Trust of India. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Dimasas request President Murmu to stop screening of National Award-winning film 'Semkhor'". The Hindu. PTI. 30 September 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Infant cast in 'Semkhor' died due to filmmaker Aimee's negligence: Dimasa outfits". Deccan Herald. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  11. ^ Khan, Fatima (25 October 2022). "Assaulted By Classmate: How Dental Student Vania Sheikh Was Driven To Her Death". TheQuint. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  12. ^ Kumar, Abhijeet (26 September 2022). "National Award winning film 'Semkhor' in legal soup for alleged misrepresentation of Dimasa culture". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Stop screening of 'Semkhor' film, Dimasa groups ask President Murmu". Hindustan Times. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  14. ^ EastMojo, Team (29 September 2022). "'Semkhor': Nagaland Dimasa body condemns wrong depiction of community in film". EastMojo. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  15. ^ Scroll Staff. "Assam: Dimasa community demands ban on movie 'Semkhor' alleging false portrayal of their customs". Scroll.in. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  16. ^ NEWS, NE NOW (30 September 2022). "Assam: Dimasa bodies allege death of 3-month-old baby during shooting of Aimee Baruah's Semkhor". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Dimasa bodies allege 3-month-old baby died during shooting of Semkhor". The Meghalayan. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
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