Voice of Siang | Documentary, 57 minutes

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Synopsis

Far East in the Himalayan border of India and China, along the banks of pristine blue
Siang river lives the tribal Adi people. The Adi culture is beautiful and unique with
shamanic chants of their mythologies of origin, animistic rituals around nature and
amicable resolution of disputes in their traditional courts.
With the memories of 1962 Indo-China war still fresh, China now reasserts its
territorial claim of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, the land of the Adis. This
conflict is also extended to the waters with Siang becoming the new battleground for
power. On both sides of the border mega dams are being built on the elegant Siang
that originates in Tibet, turns sharp through the Himalayas and flows down through
the Adi villages to join the mighty river Brahmaputra downstream in the valley of
North East India.
Will peace return to the borders? Will the Adis stay Indian? Wont the mega dams have
a catastrophic effect on the rivers - both Siang and the Brahmaputra downstream? Will
this tribal culture and language survive - orally, without a script?
Through a series of encounters with the Adis by the Siang, near the old town of
Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, this journey probes for answers and portrays their
inspiring resilience and hope.

 

Crew

Producer | Rajeev Mehrotra, Executive Director, Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT) Director, Cinematographer | Joor Baruah

Editors | Sammujjal Kashyap, Gautam Mazumdar, Joor Baruah

Music Design | Chandan Das, Joor Baruah

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Supported by 

• Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT)

• Investigative Reporting Program, School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley