Arunachal's Wancho folktale to become first animated film from Patkai Hills

A traditional folktale from the Wancho community of Arunachal Pradeshs Longding district is being adapted into an animated short film marking the first such project based on an indigenous story from the remote Patkai Hills near the IndiaMyanmar borderThe film is currently being developed during a twomonth workshop at an institute in Bengaluru according to a statement from Adivasi Arts Trust a UKbased charity set up to promote and preserve Indian indigenous art culture and storytelling through animation and digital mediaThe workshop is being conducted in collaboration with the Trust and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust UK bringing together four undergraduate design students and two young Wancho artists under the guidance of animation faculty member Vijay Punia it saidThe project traces its origins to Kamhua Noknu one of the largest traditional Wancho villages in Longding districtIt began in 2019 when UKbased filmmaker and cultural researcher Jonathan Hope visited the village to document oral narratives stated by village elders as part of his postdoctoral researchAs part of the study 32 stories were recorded from Kamhua Noknu and nearby villagesLocal school teacher Jatwang Wangsa translated the stories which were published in a book in 2024The stories preserved through oral tradition reflect the communitys beliefs customs and relationship with natureThe second phase of the initiative began in 2020 with an animation workshop in Kamhua Noknu aimed at introducing local youth to filmmaking and animationThe team selected The Story of the Gourd for adaptation because of its importance in Wancho cultural traditionsNarrated by the late Ngamchai Wangsa father of Jatwang Wangsa the story recounts the mythical creation of Wangham regarded as the first village chief and explores themes of community life traditional agriculture territorial disputes governance and the relationship between people and their environmentIn March 2021 a preproduction workshop was organised bringing together students researchers media professionals and eight Wancho participants to develop the screenplay storyboard character designs and test animation sequences for the filmThe project however was delayed for several years due to administrative issues before receiving fresh financial support from the Bryan Guinness Charitable TrustThe Bengaluru team has since created handcrafted animation models and is using the institutes stopmotion animation studio to produce the filmThe completed short film will present the Wancho ancestral narrative in Wancho Hindi and English as part of the Stories of Our Ancestors series introducing indigenous oral traditions of Arunachal Pradesh to younger audiences through animationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever