Imphal: A Manipuri film set against the ethnic violence that began in the state in 2023 has had its world premiere at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).
Enoong Ngallamdai (Fireflies in the Dark), an 85-minute feature, was screened as part of the festival’s Panorama Cinemas of Asia lineup.
The film follows three interwoven stories: a pregnant woman trying to give birth while gunfire surrounds her, a young boy searching for his mother with only a displaced stray calf for company, and a cafe owner who risks her own safety to shelter people fleeing for their lives.
Producer Jani Viswanath said the film uses fragmented, non-linear storytelling and intimate handheld photography. According to her, it portrays the conflict without aestheticising violence and focuses on the margins of the catastrophe, asking what it means to keep going when everything around you has stopped.
Survivors’ accounts
The story was written by Chingsanglakpa and Yogesh Lohan, who also directed the film. Lohan said he joined the project as a screenwriter and travelled to Manipur to meet survivors before writing any scenes.
“What struck me was not only their pain and trauma, but the quiet, stubborn hope that still lived in their eyes,” he said.
He said the film was shot at real locations across Manipur with the support of local communities, and that it aims to honour those lives without spectacle. Describing the Vancouver screening as an emotional milestone, he said it was special to see the film finally reach an audience after what the team went through to make it.
Cast and crew
The cast includes Bala Hijam Ningthoujam, known for the BAFTA-winning film Boong, along with Leishangthem Tonthoingambi Devi, Angom Pamdamba Singh, Aheibam Chiranjit, Luwang Yumlembam and Ratan Lai. Several first-time actors also appear, including people from remote villages and refugee camps.
Viswanath said the shoot was demanding. “It was a challenging but interesting situation to handle every day,” she said, adding that the first-time actors bring “raw, lived reality” to the screen.
Ravi Ranjan Sharma was the director of photography, and Meena Longjam served as creative director. Sound design was by Amrit Pritam and Debajit Changmai, music by Daniel B George, and editing by Tinni Mitra. Rajni Basumatary was the executive producer.
Producer’s background
Viswanath’s earlier credits include the Assamese film Xhoixobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields), directed by Bidyut Kotoky; the Boro films Jwlwi – The Seed and Gorai Phakri (Wild Swans), both directed by Rajni Basumatary; and Andro Dreams, a Manipuri documentary directed by Meena Longjam.
Speaking about the film’s message, she said violence and conflict in any community are never a solution to long-term peace. “We need unity, positivity and harmony to sustain a habitable world,” she said.
Also Read: The politics and profits behind Manipur’s Kuki-Naga violence