Sikhirini Mwsanai (Dance of the Butterfly) by Subasri Krishnan

Sikhirni Mwsanai, literally, dance of the butterfly in Bodo, expresses the delicate, almost fragile, rhythms of traditional Bodo music and dance. The Film traces the journey of Sifung Harimu Afad - a cultural troupe of young adult Bodos, as they rediscover those rhythms in their efforts to revive live music and dance performance in Chirang district, Assam. In a place steeped with histories of cyclic conflict and violence, the Film attempts to understand the relationship between cultural forms and everyday life, and what they mean to a community.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Subasri Krishnan is a filmmaker and leads the Media Lab at the Indian Institute for Human Settlement. Her films, dealing with contemporary politics - from internet censorship and the unique identity number to the Nellie massacre, have screened at festivals nationally and internationally and won awards. Subasri is a recipient of the filmmaker/ artist residency at the Goethe Institut, Brazil; the Chevening Fellowship, UK; the Charles Wallace Research Grant, UK; and the George Washington University Filmmaker Fellowship, USA. She curates the Urban Lens Film Festival and directed the 2017 edition of the IAWRT Film Festival. Prior to going to film school, Subasri worked for the academic journal Seminar.

  • Researcher, Script Writer: Subasri Krishnan
  • Cinematographers: Paromita Dhar, Amit Mahanti
  • Editor: Bhamati Sivapalan
  • Location Sound Recordist: Koustav Sinha
  • Sound Designer and Mixer: Madhu Apsara
  • Project Partner: Doordarshan

Festival, screening and distribution queries: distribution@psbt.org