Kohima: Professor Dolly Kikon screened her third film, A Sacred Place, at The Lighthouse Church in Dimapur on September 4. The filmmaker spent years documenting the traditions of Makhel, a Mao Naga village in northern Manipur considered a place of origin. Kikon moved away from traditional academic research to focus on visual storytelling. She edited hours of footage to emphasize the perspectives of local women and elders.
Kikon integrated indigenous philosophy with Western science during production. She partnered with a geologist to collect water samples from salt springs in Makhel, which elders traditionally used for stomach ailments. Scientific test results are expected in three months. The project serves as an alternative to extractive research methods. She ensured the community kept the final product. “I don’t care if the world rejects it,” Kikon said, noting the joy of the village children.
Bano Haralu of the Wildlife Conservation Society-India praised the film for addressing environmental degradation. Haralu noted that Nagaland lost 800 square kilometres of forest in the last decade. She cited a decline in rice diversity from over 2,000 varieties in the 1980s to fewer than 800 by 2003. The film highlights the role of Makhel monoliths and ancestral kinship in preserving heritage.
The screening event was co-hosted by Mao Hoho Dimapur, Wildlife Conservation Society-India, and The Morung Express. Akangjungla chaired the program. Kaini Lokha provided the welcome address, while Professor James Kalong of Oriental Theological Seminary offered a blessing. Kikon emphasized that the project is not just a film about the past. It is a conversation about the future.
Comments