Assam-based filmmaker Pranami Koch has taken a remarkable journey in documentary filmmaking, marked by passion, resilience, and a deep commitment to her roots. Her film Koro Gochongni (Echoes Within), a short documentary selected for the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), stands as the only Indian film in the Shorts Competition category this year.
For Koch, the selection represents a transformative moment, celebrating both the triumphs and trials that have shaped her path as an artist and as a member of the Koch community, a group often overlooked in mainstream media.
“I felt euphoric,” Pranami said in a conversation with EastMojo, reflecting on the selection announcement. The process of making Koro Gochongni, from research to post-production, was an eye-opening journey, and at times overwhelming, given the limited resources and crew. Despite these challenges, she persevered, bringing to life a film that resonates with the emotions, struggles, and experiences of her community. “Now, having the opportunity to showcase it at such a prestigious festival feels like the completion of a journey, with the hope of more selections to come,” she adds.
The film explores complex themes around the Koch identity, examining intersections of heritage, belonging, and identity across Assam, Meghalaya, North Bengal, Bihar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. Pranami feels particularly honored that Koro Gochongni is the only Indian film in its category, expressing a mix of pride and anticipation. “It’s a competitive category, and I look forward to all the experiences that will enrich my filmmaking journey,” she says.
The hurdles of independent filmmaking
Like many independent filmmakers, Pranami faced numerous hurdles while making Koro Gochongni, especially in the absence of formal financial support. She wore multiple hats throughout production, juggling roles as director, producer, editor, sound recordist, researcher, and production manager. The challenges were daunting, but they also proved to be exhilarating. “It was exhausting, yet exhilarating,” she shared. “The learning experience was immense.”
One of the key challenges lay in portraying the complexity of the Koch community, a trans-border indigenous group. “The subject itself carried a lot of responsibility. Addressing this topic has been quite complex from the community’s perspective,” Pranami explains. Spanning across regions in India and beyond, the Koch community shares an intricate history and cultural ties that Pranami felt compelled to capture. Additionally, the use of multiple dialects from different clans posed unique obstacles for subtitling, yet Pranami describes this experience as a turning point. “I finally learnt my native tongue a bit—a feeling ethereal.”
Her journey to complete the documentary was far from easy, but the moments she shared with the women of her community kept her grounded. Their stories offered a sense of joy and resilience that helped her push through the exhaustion. “The moments I spent with the women of my community—their stories and experiences—grounded me, offering joy amidst the exhaustion,” she said, adding that these intimate exchanges fueled her determination to complete the project.
Building skills through an unconventional path
Pranami’s filmmaking career did not follow a conventional trajectory. Her formal training lies in design, not film. She earned her Master’s in Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), specializing in Photography Design. Originally a science student, she found herself drawn to the arts, where she began experimenting with photography as a historical and political tool. This artistic shift set the foundation for her storytelling, guiding her eventual venture into film. “My keenness towards cinema arises from my understanding of photography as a historical and political tool,” she says, highlighting the dual role photography and cinema play in her life.
Her first film as a director, Boi Thaka (The Flow of Resilience), was her graduation project at NID. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued to refine her skills, working on video art and what she terms “micro films.” These projects helped her gain confidence in filmmaking, especially when she directed, shot, edited, and managed sound for a shorter version of Koro Gochongni. This version was later showcased at the Gender Bender 2022 exhibition at the Bangalore International Centre, marking a milestone in her career. “The exhibition boosted my confidence and helped me develop new skills,” she recalls.
Much of her filmmaking knowledge has come from hands-on experience and discussions with friends and family. “I owe a lot to my education, curiosity, and often to family and friends,” she reflects, emphasizing that her community discussions around cinema and socio-political realities have enriched her work. These conversations have offered a perspective absent from formal education, inspiring Pranami to bring elements of her lived reality into her work.
Storytelling rooted in identity and representation
For Pranami, her work is deeply influenced by her identity as a member of the Koch community, a marginalized group that rarely sees representation in Indian cinema. Breaking into the creative arts as one of the first in her family, she has faced both financial and cultural challenges. “The lack of both cultural and financial capital is felt quite a lot at times,” she says, noting how difficult it can be to navigate a field without established support structures.
Funding has been a particularly challenging barrier. “Even though there are a few funding opportunities in India, they are not enough to complete a film in all respects,” she explains. This funding gap forces her and many others to seek alternate sources of income to support their projects, a reality that complicates an already demanding profession. The pressure to self-fund projects often brings about struggles with self-doubt, further amplified by being part of an underrepresented community.
Language barriers have also posed challenges. “Our native tongue (both Assamese and Koch) is not widely recognized,” she says. Despite these obstacles, she has found ways to embrace the diversity within her community’s history, allowing her to approach storytelling with greater empathy and depth.
A personal exploration of identity and heritage
The story behind Koro Gochongni is as much about Pranami’s personal journey as it is about the collective identity of the Koch community. “This film stemmed from a deep personal search for my identity,” she shares, describing how her experiences as a woman in a patriarchal society with caste-based discrimination led her to question her place within Assamese Hindu society. Growing up with Hindu rituals around purity and menstruation prompted her to ask questions about her identity and heritage as a Koch woman.
Through her research, Pranami discovered the richness of her culture and the endangered status of her community’s language, spoken by just 30,000 people according to UNESCO. The film thus became a metaphorical search for her grandmother, a journey to reclaim lost language, tradition, and identity. “The confusion, rage, and longing I felt during this journey drove me to make this film,” she says, emphasizing the deeply personal nature of her project.
Taking Koro Gochongni to an international stage
As Koro Gochongni premieres at IDFA, Pranami hopes to spark conversations and build connections with fellow filmmakers. “I’m looking forward to meaningful exchanges and interactions,” she says, expressing excitement for the audience’s feedback. She wants viewers to engage with both the subject matter and the artistic form of the film, hoping it will inspire dialogue around the craft of filmmaking as well as its themes.
Looking Ahead: Future projects and aspirations
While Koro Gochongni marks a significant achievement, Pranami has no plans to slow down. She is currently working on a short documentary titled “What Would it Mean to See a Cobra in a Dream?” and has a deep interest in exploring themes related to cultural histories, memory, and community, often through a gendered lens. “I’m naturally curious and constantly exploring new ideas,” she says, showing no signs of losing the momentum she has built.
Advice to aspiring filmmakers
To young filmmakers from marginalized communities, Pranami offers words of encouragement. “It’s essential to build strong networks to support each other and create platforms for showcasing our work,” she advises. Reflecting on her own journey, she emphasizes resilience, which she believes is a characteristic common to many from Northeast India. “Dream big, not just for yourself but for your community,” she says, encouraging others to embrace learning as a dynamic process that happens alongside creating.
With Koro Gochongni making its way to international audiences, Pranami Koch is proving that determination, creativity, and a sense of purpose can break barriers. Her journey not only shines a light on the Koch community but also sets a precedent for future storytellers from underrepresented backgrounds. In her own words, “It’s never too late to dream big.”
Also Read: Manipur Police arrest four people over attack on railway driver