Indian film from Nagaland gains path to the Oscars
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Theja Rio’s film Angh, shot in the Konyak language and featuring a largely first-time cast, won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film originates from Nagaland, a mountainous state in northeastern India, and depicts the changing world of a Konyak village in the early 1960s as traditional beliefs encounter Christianity. Rio aimed to portray the Konyak people from their own perspective, countering a history of outside observers documenting their culture.
The film centers on Anghba, a hereditary chief, and his son, exploring the tensions and connections between generations as their way of life transforms. Scholar Dr. B Amo Konyak explains that the changes during this period caused some traditions to disappear, while others were preserved in altered forms. Rio observed that within families, elders still practice ancestral customs while younger generations embrace modern life, creating a unique coexistence of past and present. The Platform Prize carries a new benefit.
Under revised Academy Award rules, films winning designated prizes at six international festivals are eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category without needing their country’s official submission. While this doesn't guarantee a nomination, it brings Konyak-language cinema from a remote region of India into the global conversation. Rio, who initially aspired to be a rapper, drew inspiration from filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami while crafting his film's quiet and intimate portrayal of a community in transition.
