boong

This wonderful film proved to be a very unique & challenging editorial experience for me on two fronts – first, it is in an Indian language that I’m completely unfamiliar with (Meitei, from the north-east-Indian state of Manipur); second, it is the first full-length feature that I edited with a completely remote workflow over Zoom, without ever meeting the director in person (to date – hopefully we will change this soon!)

Laxmipriya Devi’s vibrant debut follows Boong, a 9-year-old Manipuri troublemaker as he navigates big changes in his school life and deals with the tough love of his Mum, a feisty single mother Mandakini, who doesn’t quite explain why his Dad has stopped making his annual visits back home.

As his coming-of-age adventure, he teams up with his best friend Raju and decides to sneak out on a road trip to look for his long-absent father, on a journey that smuggles Boong across the border into unknown territories and situations rife with political discord… and also delivers a few surprises along the way.

The film will have its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, October 2024. See more here.