During the closing ceremony of “the 4th International Women’s Film Festival – Herat” held in Kabul, Afghanistan on 22 Oct. 2016 the winners of this edition of the festival were announced.
The fiction “Song of the Horned Owl” directed by Manju Borah from India was awarded as the Best camera, by the international jury.
Song of the Horned Owl
Original Title: Dau Huduni Methai
Director: Manju Borah, India
Genre: Fiction
Date & Country of Production: 2015, India
Language: Bodo
Duration: 77 minutes
Synopsis: The film recounts the effects of insurgency and counter-insurgency on common folk through the perspective of Raimali, a young rape victim. As she lies in an abandoned house, she recalls how separatist violence mars her life, that of her lover and their families, contrasting its intrusive nature with indigenous folklore and the immutability of the Assamese landscape.
Director’s Biography and Filmography
Manju Borah, born in Assam, India, explores the region’s culture and its impact on the person and society as a whole in her films. Her first feature film Baibhab (A Scam in Verse, 1999) was awarded the Jury’s ‘Special Mention’ in the 47th National Film Festival, 2000 and was named the Best film in Asia at the 6th Dhaka International Film Festival, 2000. She was also the recipient of the Gollapudi Srinivas Award for Best Debut Director in 1999. Her films have won many prizes 2015-2001. She holds various positions at different organizations and has served as jury member at various film festivals. She has been awarded the Women of Excellence Award by FICCI for her outstanding contribution to the field of Film & Entrepreneurship in 2009 and the Satyajit Ray Memorial Award given by the Asian Film Foundation (2012) for working to spread film culture in India as a life time mission. (Detailed biography, see: https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Manju_Borah).
