“Leipaklei blooms at Korea, (The 14thJeonu International Film Festival). ‘Leipaklei’, Manipuri Feature film directed by Aribam Syam Sharma got screened at the 14th edition of the Jeonu International Film Festival, South Korea. It was screened twice on the 29th April and on the 1stMay, in a special section called ‘Beyond Bollywood’. The organisers are well aware of the fact that films made in Bombay or Bollywood overshadows other films of the country. According to them, “the section ‘Beyond Bollywood’ presents authentic Indian films that are like precious gems hidden in various parts of India while providing a rare opportunity to experience the culture of India’s provinces that has been neglected all this time.” The film was screened at 8:00 pm Korean standard time, which is around three hours ahead of IST. Being an International Festival, people from different countries like Austria, Germany, Argentina, Turkey and of course the Koreans turned up to watch ‘Leipaklei’. Surprisingly, middle aged Koreans turned up in good number. After the screening there was a ‘Guest Visit’ (GV) interaction session. It was an interaction with the film team, represented by Assistant Director Bobo Khuraijam and the audience. They appreciated the movie and shared their eagerness to know more about the state Manipur and its culture. They were surprised to be told that Korean ‘Arirang’ channel has been making a big wave in a far off state like Manipur. All were in smile when told that there are youngsters in Manipur who dressed up like the Korean actors. They hope to see more of Manipuri movies. Austrian film maker, Angelika Brudnaik, whose film ‘1+8’ is also part of the festival, shared her enthusiasm to come over Manipur and explore the place. She said she has fallen in love with the Jewelries; particularly the oneLeipaklei (played by Tonthoi) had put on in the scene of her marriage. Film maker Jeanine Meerapfel from Germany wanted to know the plans from the side of the producers regarding the possibility of ‘Leipaklei’ of getting it screened elsewhere in other parts of the India and outside. The organisers thanked the film team for having made such an effort to showcase a simple yet warm story from Manipur. Jeonju International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the picturesque Jeonju city of South Korea. The festival is supported by Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, South Korea and Korean Film Council. 190 films from 46 countries with (45 world premier) are screened in the nine days long festival. Festival director Ko Suk-man says that the festival represents prominent works suggesting the possibility of new pages for cine-aesthetics. The festival has become one of the sought-after destinations in the international film festival circuit. There are six sections in the festival. Competition Section, JIFF Project, Cinema Scape, Stranger Than Cinema, Cinemafest and Focus On, in which, ‘Leipaklei’ is included in the special section ‘Beyond Bollywood’.
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Photo Credit: Bobo Khuraijam
