SHILLONG, Dec 12: After receiving honours at multiple international film festivals, the acclaimed Khasi film Ha Lyngkha Bneng — “The Elysian Field” — by noted filmmaker Pradip Kurbah, was screened for a select home audience at the St. Anthony’s College auditorium on Friday.
The film has so far secured Best Director, Best Film, and Best Asian Cinema awards in Moscow, as well as Best Director at the Kolkata Film Festival and the London Film Festival. It continues to travel across international competitions, earning wide recognition for its storytelling and cinematic craft.
The special screening was organised by the Department of Mass Media, St. Anthony’s College, in collaboration with Kurbah Films, Hello Meghalaya, and Ka Knup Creatives.
The event drew an almost packed hall, with notable attendees including Adviser to the Social Welfare department, Paul Lyngdoh, and East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, RM Kurbah, among others.
Ha Lyngkha Bneng depicts the journey of a small rural community shaped by the pressures of urban migration. The film portrays shifting relationships, fading memories, and quiet longings, gradually revealing the deeper bonds that hold a community together.
After the screening, Adviser Paul Lyngdoh praised the film as both “realistic and futuristic,” stating that it captures the anxieties of a society on the brink of fragmentation.
“The portrayal of a village with only six people left because of urbanisation reflects shrinking families, lost communication, loneliness, and despair,” Lyngdoh said. He warned that Meghalaya could see similar realities in the next two decades if tribal society loses its togetherness, unity, and sense of belonging.
He added that the film urges viewers to reconnect with their roots and reflect on the challenges posed by modernisation.
Director Pradip Kurbah, speaking after the screening, expressed gratitude for the audience’s enthusiastic reaction.
He shared his surprise at how viewers responded to certain scenes. “There were moments where I never expected people to laugh, but they did. I’m still curious why those scenes felt humorous to them,” he said, noting that the experience was a learning moment for him.
Urging audiences to continue supporting local cinema, Kurbah said, “When the film releases, I just want people to come and watch it. If I grow as a filmmaker, I want my audience to grow with me. With OTT platforms, people’s understanding of cinema has expanded, and I hope they will accept this film.”
He encouraged young students to tell their own stories, emphasising the importance of narratives from the region.
Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Nathaniel Donbor Nampui Majaw of the Mass Media Department said the college has long collaborated with Kurbah, inviting him as a jury member for student film projects and supporting his cinematic ventures.
“This time, it was special because he (Pradip Kurbah) expressed his interest in screening Ha Lyngkha Bneng at St. Anthony’s College,” he added.
