Old Man River and A River Story: ‘Eco-cinema’ in North East India

Abstract

Documentary films are considered as one of the "discourses of sobriety" that include all the elements of life. Based on realities, documentary films are mirror of sorrows and sufferings of people and have the universal cultural expression. The mighty river Brahmaputra has nourished the lives of North East India including trans-national natives in its majestic journey. Like other 'eco-cinema', many filmmakers have depicted the association between Brahmaputra and its communities from their point of view. 'Eco-cinema' represents a diversity of creative productions that addresses issues related to the intertwined relationship between human and natural world as well as retrain perception as an alternative to conventional media spectatorship. This paper attempts to understand how documentary films are engaging river Brahmaputra as a source of eco-cinema to understand the socio-cultural ethos in North East India. The Old Man River of Gautam Bora and A River story of hope and despair by MouliSenapati were taken into consideration to comprehend the norms of visual language practiced in this part of the world. Like many rivers of the world, Brahmaputra shapes the valley with its own command. The river sometime is the source of all miseries for the valley. Man becomes helpless in front of the nature's will. Their peace, happiness and dreams shatter when the river becomes a gigantic one; only the struggle for existence remains as the background music of life. Extensive use of extreme long and close-up shots is a fascinating common character in the films that no doubt creates the emotional bonding of the audience and the narrative content.