film detail – NYIFF – New York Indian Film Festival

Sekool

Director: Stenzin Tankong

Starring: Urgain Topgay, Tsering Yangchen, Stanzin Chokphel, Fida Hussain, Ruchi Mathur

Run time: 14 Mins 23 Secs

Language: Ladakhi (w/English subtitles)

Year Made: 2019

Country: India

With: Global

Synopsis:

Singay (Stanzin Chokphel), a young and successful man in his mid-thirties recollects the moment in his childhood, when officials from ‘Rural education department’ came to his village to take him to school. Singay (Jigmet Topgay) lives with his single mother (Tsering Yangchen) and his pet lamb in a nomad tribe in Himalayas. Singay curiously asks his mother about the officials and about where he is going and what school is. Since mother has never been to a school herself, she has very limited know how of school but her answer satisfy Singay’s innocent questions and he is excited to go to this new place called ‘School’. Specially when he asks “Mother can I take the lamb with me as well” and to which mother answers “of course you can”. This answer of his mother takes the Singay’s excitement to next level until the next day the officials come to pick Singay for his boarding school

Director : Stenzin Tankong

Stenzin Tankong has finished his film studies from Symbiosis center for media and communication. With specialization in film and television. This is Stenzin’s 5th short film and his first short film based fully on his native land. Stenzin belongs to a nomad tribe called ‘changpa’ in the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh. Apart from directing and writing his own films, Stenzin also works as an freelance assistant director in Mumbai, projects ranging from feature films to television commercials. Stenzin also worked as the Tech assistant at the Dharamsala International film festival. He aims to tell the world, the stories of fast declining Nomad people of Ladakh. In his own words “ there is so much the world needs to know, hear and see about this unique culture and their traditions, before it vanishes forever from the face of the earth. We need to realize how human beings are so diverse in its ethnicity, culture and religion beliefs but at the same time, we all are the same simple human being”

Photos