The short film “Kumu- The song of a wingless bird” is set against the backdrop of the lush tea estates of Assam. The film explores the life of a 12 year old Adivasi girl who had to abandon her school and care free life due to her familial circumstances. Disturbed by regular conflicts between her drunkard father and hard working mother, and also burdened with the responsibility of looking after her younger sister, Kumu turns into a withdrawn girl. With her little sister on her lap, she walks through the lanes of the green tea garden under the blue sky and attempts to escape her harsh reality to a world of carefree life. Through the journey of the little girl Kumu, the film focuses on how the Adivasi children living in the tea gardens of Assam are deprived of their childhood- happiness, beauty, hope and parental care, and are even barred from dreaming a life beyond their preordained fate. 

  SCREENINGS/ AWARDS 

SiGNS Film Festival
Muvattupuzha
India
April 6, 2022
15th JOHN ABRAHAM NATIONAL AWARD for Best Short Feature

Bengal International Short Film Festival
Kolkata
India
May 16, 2022
Best Director Award

• Best child artist award at Toronto International Women Film Festival

•  Jury Special Mention at 8th International Film Festival of Shimla, 2022

• Golden Elephant for Best Cinematography at Siliguri Short and Documentary Film Festival , 2022

• Best Short Film at National Documentary Short Film Festival , Thrissur 2022

• Selection into 24th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival (non-competitive)

• Best Short Film at NEFVTA ( Assam)

Official Selection into competition category :

• Bengaluru International Short Film Festival ( The only Oscar qualifying festival for short films in India )

• Jaipur International Film Festival

• Runners up in South Asian Short Film Festival 

On 12 February, 2021 , we organized a special screening of Kumu at the department of Mass Communication and Journalism , Tezpur University. The screening was attended by students and professors from various departments. The crew of KUMU also interacted with the audience after the screening.