Itanagar, Jul 8: A traditional Wancho folktale from the remote Patkai Hills of Arunachal Pradesh’s Longding district is being transformed into an animated short film, marking the first known animation adaptation of a story from one of India’s most secluded indigenous communities.
The two-month production workshop is currently underway at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology (SMI), Bengaluru, through a collaboration between the Institute, the Adivasi Arts Trust (UK) and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust (UK).
The production team comprises four undergraduate design students from SMI and two young artists from the Wancho community under the guidance of animation faculty member Vijay Punia.
The project traces its origins to 2019, when a filmmaker and cultural researcher from the United Kingdom documented oral traditions in Kamhua Noknu, one of the largest Wancho villages in Longding district, as part of a postdoctoral research project hosted by the Department of Anthropology, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong.
During the research, 32 oral narratives were recorded from village elders in Kamhua Noknu and neighbouring villages. Local teacher Jatwang Wangsa translated the stories, which were later published in the book Myth, Memory and Folktale of the Wancho Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh (Niyogi Books, 2024).
The oral narratives, preserved through generations, reflect the Wancho community's worldview, cultural values and relationship with nature.
The animation project gained momentum in 2020 when a workshop was organised in Kamhua Noknu to introduce local youth to stop-motion animation. Equipped with cameras, computers, lighting equipment and animation materials, the organisers trained village youths despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and limited electricity in the remote region.
Although 16 young people initially joined the workshop, a dedicated core team continued with the project. The initiative was later documented in the film Myths of the Wancho (2021).
Among the recorded folktales, The Story of the Gourd was selected for adaptation because of its rich depiction of Wancho cultural traditions. The narrative recounts the mythical origin of Wangham, regarded as the first village chief, and explores themes of creation, community life, traditional agriculture, territorial relationships and governance through a uniquely oral storytelling tradition.
A pre-production workshop held at NEHU in 2021 brought together students, scholars, media professionals and Wancho participants to develop the screenplay, storyboard, character designs and animation concepts.
Although the project faced delays in subsequent years, it was revived with financial support from the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust. Vijay Punia, who had earlier served as a resource person during the NEHU workshop, took charge of completing the film at SMI.
The current team has handcrafted animation models and is using the institute's stop-motion studio to produce the film frame by frame. The production combines traditional Wancho storytelling with modern animation techniques.
Once completed, the short film will be released in Wancho, Hindi and English as part of the Stories of our Ancestors series, with the aim of introducing younger audiences to the rich animist traditions and oral heritage of the Wancho community, Tara Douglas of the Adivasi Arts Trust said.