Echoes Within (Koro Gochongni)
Synopsis:
"Koro Gochongni” (Echoes Within) is a diary film intended to rebuild the severed connection between myself and my ancestral tribal identity as an indigenous Koch woman. The film serves as an excuse to construct my lost identity, which now remains at a distance, perforated with nostalgia and an imagined sense of belongingness. Without any visual memory of my grandmother, whom I've never met, I am searching for her through the stories of my father, as well as the women of the community whom I refer to as, Aja, Anung, and Abu. They live in a matrilineal society in the remote North Eastern borderland of India.
The project aims to delve into the nuances of gender and indigeneity, exploring their impacts on the psychology of a young queer woman as she asserts her identity and expresses moments of angst, confusion, and certainty about her desires. This identity has been erased from her lived experience by powerful patriarchal and majoritarian religious structures throughout history, manifested through multiple waves of Sanskritization in India, ultimately pushing towards a homogenized Hindu identity with the loss of the tribal language, culture, tradition, and animistic faith systems.
The formal aspects of the film attempt to supplement the bridge between the lived, imagined, and borrowed as it navigates through the personal and collective memory of the community, which has been pushed towards amnesia of their tribal roots.
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Pranami KochDirector
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Pranami KochWriter
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Pranami KochProducer
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Shrutiman DeoriCinematographer
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Rishikesh ThangjamMusic
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Eemon KochSound Designer
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Pranami KochSound Recordists
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Shrutiman DeoriSound Recordists
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short
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Genres:History, Culture, Environment, Human Interest, Political, Personal, Intimate
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Runtime:26 minutes 19 seconds
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Completion Date:October 10, 2024
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Production Budget:14,271 USD
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)Amsterdam
Netherlands
November 14, 2024
World Premiere
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) - Short Documentary Competition
Pranami Koch (aka Pranami Rajbangshi), a multimedia artist, holds a Master's degree in Design in Photography Design from the National Institute of Design. Hailing from Assam, she identifies as a queer indigenous woman belonging to the transnational tribal community called Koch. She is interested in the politics of gender and identity which is often drawn from her lived experiences. She is intrigued by the visual medium and believes it is quite impactful. Through research, photography, filmmaking and writing she wishes to explore critical social issues and work closely with communities. Apart from her artistic pursuits, she derives joy from cooking pork dishes, and gardening as outlets for self-expression. In her spare moments, you'll likely find her tending to her cherished collection of plants.