The mysterious and beautiful northeast hill region of India has been all but sealed off from the outside world. The state of Nagaland lies at the very extremity of the subcontinent.
The Konyak of Nagaland presents rare coverage of the Konyaks, one of the tribes of Nagaland, who were feared as head -hunters, until not so long ago.
The film is an experiential exploration of the Konyak people and their lifestyle as it exists today, by Director/ Correspondent, Anu Malhotra. It attempts to explain the unique qualities of the Konyak culture like the tradition of headhunting, cult of fertility, feasting and the wisdom of their customary way of life.
The highlight of the film is the Konyak annual spring festival, ‘Aoling’ with all its the energy and colour. The Konyak actively re-enact their glory days with colourful rituals, headhunting dances, war chants, animal sacrifices and feasting, which are deeply reminiscent of their rich and vibrant past.
The Beta SP film is brilliantly shot with stunning visuals. The narrative style is primarily of the documentary genre, but a 2-camera set up and a “fiction feel” edit style lends the film an underlying story telling feel. Original Konyak songs and war chants interspersed with an original music score adds an evocative feel.
Poised as the Konyak are on the very brink of the death of a “civilisation”, the film captures this period of metamorphosis for posterity…with possibly the last images of the ancient Konyak.