Wild Swans (2023 film)

Set in the foothills of Bodoland in Northeast India, the story explores the lives of women in a patriarchal society recovering from decades of armed conflict between the State and separatist groups. Their experiences of repression and fighting back are interwoven.

Preeti, a doctoral student from the city comes to the village for her fieldwork. Her romantic ideas of rural life are crushed after witnessing the effects that militarization and patriarchy have on the everyday lives of these women.

Mainao and Gaodaang raise their teenage children as single mothers. Mainao's husband, a rebel, was killed by security personnel. Gaodaang's husband is a soldier in the Indian army posted along the country's border. Once inseparable friends, they are now struggling with the bitter legacies left behind by their husbands. Middle-aged Malothi is gang raped by an armed patrol one night. Her husband abandons her labeling her "unclean".

But winds of change are about to blow.

• Helina Daimary as Preeti
• Sangeena Brahma as Gaodaang
• Mithinga Narzary as Mainao
• Anjali Daimari as Malothi
• Dwijiri B. Basumatary as Sonathi
• Milina Daimari as Daisy
• Queen Hazarika as Anondi
• Ramileswari Brahma Boro as Sikhiri
• Dolly Kikon as herself
• Mwnabili Brahma as Renu Boro
• Rajni Basumatary as Bimuli

The film is set in the foothills of Bodoland in Northeast India. The film has an all-female cast and most crew members are women.{{Cite web |last=Das |first=Pooja |date=2024-03-04 |title='Gorai Phakhri' at BIFFes: A lens on subtle patriarchy through an all-female cast |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2024/Mar/04/gorai-phakhri-at-biffes-a-lens-on-subtle-patriarchy-through-an-all-female-cast |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}} The film was shot in February 2022 in Guwahati and Udalguri in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. The post-production was completed in August 2023. The film is produced by Jani Viswanath and co-produced by Rajni Basumatary.{{Cite web|title=Gorai Phakhri / Wild Swans|url=https://www.habitatworld.com/hff2024/details.php?editId=14|access-date=2025-01-28 |website=www.habitatworld.com|language=en}}

This is Rajni Basumatary's third directorial film. The film tells interwoven stories about village women ganging up against patriarchy in the milieu of armed conflict prevalent in India's Northeast region.The film hopes to take forward the dialogue on the subject. The film is inspired by stories part of Basumatary's own upbringing.{{Cite news |last=Fernandes |first=Anna |date=2024-03-05 |title=Today, more films are employing the female gaze: Filmmaker Rajni Basumatary |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/bangalore/today-more-films-are-employing-the-female-gaze-filmmaker-rajni/articleshow/108209636.cms |access-date=2024-03-13 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

File:Rajni Basumatary at a private screening.jpg

The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival on 29 September 2023. It was the first Boro-language film that was selected for this section of the festival. It was the only Indian Indian feature film at the festival.{{Cite web |last=Gani |first=Abdul |date=2023-09-15 |title=Bodo language film 'Gorai Phakhri' to be premiered at Vancouver festival |url=https://assamtribune.com/entertainment/bodo-language-film-gorai-phakhri-to-be-premiered-at-vancouver-festival-1494951 |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=assamtribune.com |language=en}}

The film had its Indian premiere at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival in December 2023. It was also screened at the 1st North East India Film Festival, Manipur 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://mountainecho.in/manipur-host-north-east-film-festival-neiff-2024/|title=Manipur is set to host the North East India Film Festival (NEIFF) 2024 in Imphal|accessdate=15 February 2025|website=mountainecho.in}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/manipur-governor-inaugurates-north-east-india-film-festival-2024-918878-2024-03-03|title=Manipur Governor inaugurates North East India Film Festival 2024|accessdate=15 February 2025|newspaper=India Today NE}}{{Cite web|url=https://northeastlivetv.com/around-ne/manipur/manipur-north-east-india-film-festival-2024-gets-underway/|title=Manipur: North East India Film Festival 2024 Gets Underway|accessdate=15 February 2025|newspaper=Noetheast Live}}

The film won the Best Film award at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival under the Indian Language Films category. It won the Best Director at the 6th Sailadhar Baruah Awards. It won the Best Art Director at the 6th Sailadhar Baruah Awards. It won the Gautama Buddha Award for Best Narrative Feature Film at the Nepal International Film Festival. It won the Director's Vision Award at the 21st [https://indisches-filmfestival.de/en/home-2/ Indian Film Festival Stuttgart.]

• Vancouver International Film Festival
• Kolkata International Film Festival
• Nepal International Film Festival
• [https://indisches-filmfestival.de/en/home-2/ Indian Film Festival, Stuttgart]

• [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29028848/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Gorai Phakhri] at IMDb
• [https://www.facebook.com/wildswansfilm Official Facebook]

Category:2023 films

Category:2023 drama films

Category:Indian drama films

Category:2020s Indian films