norCH IsCT INdiya filM festiveL 2024
NORTH EAST INDIA FILM FESTIVAL 2024
Rapture
Tue, 05 Mar
|Tanthapolis Cinema
Each night, a village is gripped by the fear of child-kidnappers, as the church prophesized that an apocalyptic darkness will come lasting for 80 days. For a 10-year-old boy who suffers from night blindness, the village has never been more fearful.
Time & Location
05 Mar 2024, 1:00 pm – 3:10 pm
Tanthapolis Cinema, supermarket, Lamphel Rd, Lamphelpat, Imphal, Manipur 795001, India
Guests
About the event
Director - Dominic Sangma
Duration - 127.3 minutes
Language - Garo (Meghalaya)
Producer - Xu Jianshang, Gunme R Marak
Screenplay - Dominic M Sangma
Cinematography - Tojo Xavier
Editing - Mohan Kumar Valasala
Sound - Vineet Vashistha
Cast - Torikhu A Sangma, Handam R Marak,
Celestine K Sangma, Balsrame A Sangma,
Johan Ch Sangma, Riksil K Marak, Nadira N Sangma
SYNOPSIS
Every couple year a rare kind of cicadas emerges from the earth at night. As these cicadas are considered an exotic delicacy, the villagers throng the forest at night to collect them. From one such night a nineteen-year-old boy doesn’t return, and he cannot be traced anywhere. Consequently, the villagers are gripped with the fear of an alleged group of people who are believed to be trained by the big hospital to kidnap the villagers for human organ transplant business. Meanwhile the church announces the arrival of the miraculous statue of Mary that carries a strong message, “there will be complete darkness lasting for 80 days”.
In the wake of these two impending fears the villagers frantically prepare themselves to tackle the kidnappers and face the apocalyptic darkness with prayers and repentance. But things get worse. Two more persons mysteriously disappear while kidnappers become more aggressive with nights. The fear of the villagers turns into frustration and anger. Finally when the villagers catch a stranger and enquire his purpose of visiting, something goes lost in translation. To vent their anger the villagers lynch the stranger. Through Kasan (male, 10) suffering from night blindness we witness all these unfolding events.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Rapture is born from my very own experience about fear of the darkness when I was suffering from night blindness. As a kid, I also experienced the fear of rumored child kidnappers stalking the village at night. There was nothing more fearful than the darkness for me then. Every night the villagers would take a turn to guard the village. One day, the villagers caught a stranger. The village elders enquired about the purpose of his visit. Unfortunately, the villagers couldn’t understand his language. He was severely beaten almost to death. This incident was justified and rationalized, and we were strongly warned to keep it to ourselves.
This left a very strong impression on me as a kid and sews the seed of difference between ‘them’ and ‘us’. With Rapture, I want to erase or at least blur the line between ‘them’ and ‘us’.