THE BLOOD AND THE BORDER

English | Khasi with English subtitles | 57 minutes | Non-Fiction

Premiere: Migrant Voices of European Cinema, 2024.

"The Blood and the Border" is a documentary on the rituals of the Khyrim kingdom in North East India and their encounters with Christian missionary activities in the 1800s, nation-states, and the current challenges posed by an atmosphere of increasing intolerance. "The Blood and the Border" represents the culmination of a trilogy of films by Wanphrang K Diengdoh, a Khasi filmmaker. This trilogy undertakes a comprehensive re-examination of Khasi society in North East India, Diengdoh's place of origin. Preceding "The Blood and the Border," the trilogy includes "Because We Did Not Choose" (2017), which delves into the experience of indigenous labour during World War I and their encounters with modernity, and "Where the Clouds End" (2015), an exploration of themes such as race, purity, insider-outsider politics, belonging, and the international border.