The theft of birds may not be dramatic enough to sustain a movie, but if the backdrop is a village nestled in the forests of the Eastern Himalayas, the subject could well inspire a Western, as shown by Sounak Kar, the director of Peta Dochcho.
What sets Peta Dochcho [Bird Thief] apart is not just the subject but also the fact that it is one of the first feature films in the Galo language, one of the several spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, and the first in that language to be screened outside of the State. The film is set for a world premiere on Thursday at the ongoing first edition of the World First Festival being held in Kolkata.
The film begins with a man stealing birds from their traps. He gifts the birds to his meat-loving wife, who cooks them at home. When the bird-trappers find the traps empty, they accuse each other of the theft. A fight breaks out and as matters escalate, chaos descends on the peaceful mountain village.
