FLICKERING LIGHTS

In the hills of northeast India, far from the Indian mainland and mainstream consciousness, there is a village of the Naga community called Tora. Years of neglect coupled with a long history of insurgency have meant that basic civic amenities are conspicuous by their absence.

Seventy years after Indian independence, the people hear that electricity is finally on its way. They are wary as they have been let down too often in the past. Khamrang, the grand old man of the village, watches with a skeptical eye. His real dream is to see his people attain sovereignty. Jasmine, a pragmatic woman, sees an opportunity in the coming of electricity. Does electricity arrive in Tora? Does it bring the promised joy?

Winner, Best Cinematography Award, IDFA International Competition

Winner, Mondes en Regards Prize, Festival International Jean Rouch

Winner, Best Documentary, Jaffna International Cinema Festival

Winner, Best Documentary, International Festival of Moving Image, Mexico

Official Selection, Busan International Film Festival

Official Selection, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival

Official Selection, One World Film Festival, Czech Republic

Official Selection, Jean Rouch International Film Festival

Official Selection, Taiwan International Documentary Festival

Official Selection, Sydney Film Festival

"This is a sweet, gentle film with some lovely moments, chiefly the community’s choir, which sings beautifully. With some subtlety, the film-makers allow the audience to absorb the political implications of electricity; it binds Nagaland to the Indian state more, and perhaps all this TV soften remaining separatist ambitions." — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian