Some Roots Grow Upward - A Film By Kavita Joshi & Malati Rao

Manipur is ravaged continuously. And art there can't but reflect this. Today, a movie that is as impactful as its name.

On the occasion of World Theatre Day, the Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Arts and Fine Arts, in association with Moving Images and Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, is organising a 3-day film festival on theater, from 27th to 29th March.

Today, the second day, a film by Kavita Joshi and Malati Rao called Some Roots Grow Upwards is being screened at the New Seminar Hall of School of Social Studies, University of Hyderabad. The film is shot in the city of Imphal in Manipur, a region ravaged by violence and insurgency. Against this backdrop, it explores the work of acclaimed theater director Ratan Thiyam.

For over 25 years now, Ratan Thiyam has been creating theater that is as visually compelling as it is intellectually stimulating. His work is steeped in the traditional performing arts of his home state, Manipur. But while his aesthetic influences are traditional, his concerns are intensely modern. His plays reflect upon the socio-political crisis gripping the region, the youth unrest, war and violence; at the same time, they also dwell on the larger human condition.

The film seeks insights into the art of Thiyam – in portraits of the city where he works, in the quiet beauty of the terrain, in the violent riots that tore the land apart, in the living traditions that come alive at festive time... Formally, it is a juxtaposition of the lived and the staged.

The film starts at 3:30pm, and the entry is free for all. For further details, please contact Goethe-Zentrum at 6652-6443/2324-1791.