Aribam Syam Sharma’s Ishanou is a poignant tale of love and loss steeped in Manipuri culture that tells the story of Tampha, who abandons her husband and daughter to join the Maibi sect of priestesses, answering the deity’s inexorable call. But behind her absorption in the mystical world of the Maibis lurks the anguish of a mother alienated from her child. The film beautifully juxtaposes the spiritual world of the Maibis with the rhythm of ordinary life. The simplicity of the director’s approach, the delicate camerawork and understated acting, coupled with the vivid depiction of the Maibi culture and the use of the traditional music of Manipur, gives the film an authenticity that blends storytelling, documentary and ethnography.
Restored copy
