Private Project

Manchester

An experiential documentary about the culture and philosophy of Sualkuchi. A small town in the midst of Assam whose fate has been woven by the golden silk called the MUGA and life has found solace in it's affairs of creation and venture but with the emergence of a neo-vaishnavite idea of life, the people have found a reason to search for a balance in their faith and work-life.

  • Siddharth Kar
    Director
  • Siddharth Kar
    Editor and Script
  • Jay Maheswari
    Cinematography
  • Siddharth Kar
    Cinematography
  • Subhadeep Kar
    Subtitles
  • Monjushree Borah
    Subtitles
  • Siddharth Kar
    Writer
  • Nabajyoti Medhi
    Sound Mix and Design
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Student
  • Runtime:
    53 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 23, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    150 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Assamese, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Siddharth Kar

Coming from the North-Eastern state of Assam, India, I do have a voice that goes unheard most of the time. A photographer, writer, and filmmaker who's trying to merge the voice of the far east with mainstream India with stories that have different cultural backgrounds yet consist of the same people. My journey has started with this first project of mine highlighting the significance of the traditional silk weavers in the state of Assam while also culminating a spiritual sense that Srimanta Sankaradeva has provided us with. In a process of showcasing the experiences that I have accumulated in the past years and using the visual medium to express the deepest roots of ourselves, ideas and philosophy.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I directed Manchester because the very truth of any artistic craft is within the people who make it happen. The weavers are paid just a mere 300 rupees a week yet their compelling smile does tell a different story about their love for the craft. But definitely, I had questions, that if it was really love for the craft or the only way of sustenance at disposal for them. The Muga Mekhela Sador (Traditional Assamese attire) has a very important significance here yet sometimes the association of cultural integrity gets squashed by the material presence of petty monetary gains. These ideas made me work towards a visual exploration of the place called Sualkuchi which is also known as the Manchester of the East, thus the title, Manchester. And while the study and living through the streets of Sualkuchi, the people did have a very spiritual inclination. Not religious but spiritual. It was evident that the philosophy of life by Srimanta Sankaradev has prevailed in its rightful manner and therefore, combining the work-life and faith and trying to find an equilibrium, to feel purposeful in our lives is what the whole idea revolves around.
Our mind is the greatest gift and we must never stop thinking and seeking the truth that lies behind the foggy lanes of Maya.