Memories Without Rememberers.

“Sora people say that butterflies are indestructible, (…) a conciousness wich can not cease to exist. Liberated from passivity and passion but also deprived for ever of company, butterflies are Memories without rememberers. This, at last, is the final death of the person.”

- Piers Vitebsky, Dialogues with the Dead.

MEMORIES WITHOUT REMEMBERERS. The Lanjia Sora tribe of Eastern India /

SYNOPSIS/

At the beginning of the eighties a new road reached the most remote villages of Soraland, in the Ganjam District of Orissa. From then on, the Lanjia Sora, a tribe with their own special conception of illness, life and death, got in touch with the people from the plains and fell under the influence of the missionary activities of several Christian groups. This culture clash meant a structural change among the Lanjia Sora tribal society. Around 90% of the young people have currently converted to Christianity (Catholic, Baptist and Pentecostal) and they have completely abandoned the old rites and traditions.

Aired on TVC Channel on January 27th 2005.

AWARDS/

2004 TVC Actual Award, First Place for the best film. Barcelona, Spain.
2004 Best Director Award, New Author Category at the Sitges International Film Festival. Sitges, Spain.

The ittalmaran paints the shaman's journey to the underworld.

FESTIVALS/

2005 24ème Bilan du Film Ethnographique, Musée de l’Homme Salle Jean Rouch, Paris, France.

2005 Beeld voor Beeld, Documentary Film Festival on Cultural Diversity, Amsterdam.

2005 XIX Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival. Pärnu, Estonia.

2006 EthnoFilmfest, Ethnologisches Museum. Berlin, Germany.

CREDITS/

Directed, written and produced by Alba Mora and Anna Sanmartí.

Duration: 27 min.

Country and Year: India 2005.

Language: Sora, Oriya and English with English subtitles.

Camera and Sound: Alba Mora and Anna Sanmartí.

Edited by Vep Culleré.

Color, Shot on Sony PD-150 DV PAL.

Consultant: Dra. Cornelia Mallebrein.

Translation: P. Chandra Misra and Subasini Raika.

LINKS/

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Taller.doc Televisió de Catalunya

Casa Ásia

OVNI Observatori de Video No Identificat