Asoh: Soul of the Hills

Set amidst the lush hills and deep-rooted traditions of Arunachal Pradesh, Asoh: Soul of the Hills is a visceral, immersive film unravels the intertwined threads of love, culture, tradition and kinship. Told through the lens of a wedding and the bride price to be paid, this story delves deep into the search
for a Mithun, a semi-wild bovine revered across many indigenous communities in the Eastern Himalayan Region.

In the cultural fabric of several tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, the bride price is not paid in currency, but in a Mithun. More than a transaction, this practice is symbolic – it is wealth, honor, social status. and the strength of ties between the two families. The film follows a group of men from the groom’s family as they embark on a grueling expedition into the forested hills, attempting to track, tame and retrieve a Mithun from the wild.

Through intimate cinematography and layered storytelling, the film captures not only the physical intensity of the journey but also the emotional stakes. Alongside the drama of the search, the film gently weaves in the ritualistic processes of the wedding, showcasing the meticulous preparations that blend indigenous belief systems, cultural practices, ancestral practices and collective celebration.

Through observational footage and poetic vignettes, the film presents a cultural chronicle and a visual anthropology, while reminding us that rituals are not just relics but also lived, breathed and carried forward through the everyday acts of people who chose to remember, honor and endure.
In a time when the threads of traditional ecological knowledge and cultural practices are at risk, this film stands as a powerful ode to the spiritual and material significance of the Mithun and its relationship with humans – between kin, community and land, which sustains life in the hills.