Prakash Deka’s ‘Jonaki Porua’ (Fireflies) is all set to screen at The Twin Cities Film Festival, Minneapolis and The Indian Film Festival of Ireland this year, among other venues.
Based in a remote Assamese village, ‘Fireflies’ traces the visceral journey of a trans woman coming to terms with her identity. Deka cautiously treads the sensitive subject of the film and slowly unspools the story, shedding light on the hostile conditions transgenders are subjected to.
The insights of producer Milin Dutta also inject an intensely personal element to the film. Identifying as a trans man, he was born and brought up in Assam and is a resident in the United States. His identity makes him one of the first openly queer film producers in the country. Dutta’s feverish passion for the issue translates to his active participation in social work, especially in his home ground of Northeast India. A computer engineer by profession, Dutta has founded various social groups with the aim of spreading awareness about the LGBTQ communities. ‘Fireflies’ is his first production venture, and its critical acclaim is definitely a step forward in his philanthropic journey.
The film will first screen at the Twin Cities Festival, Minneapolis which will be held in October. ‘Fireflies’ is also an official selection for the Independent Prisma Film Awards, Rome for the October edition.
The movie seems an adept fit to the festival’s core belief of cinema challenging the status quo and shifting perceptions.
In November, ‘Fireflies’ will travel halfway across the world to the Indian Film Festival of Ireland, which aims to introduce the Irish audience with the global vision of Indian Cinema.
After making the journey through the various film festivals abroad, the film will return home to Dialogues-Calcutta International LGBTQ Film And Video Festival, one of the most prestigious queer film festivals in India in November and then later at Bangalore Queer Film Festival next year in February.
Deka is an upcoming self-taught writer and director from Assam. He does hail from a theatre background and has an ongoing feature film project, ‘Broken Arrow’ at the post-production stage.
“Made with a very tiny budget, ‘Fireflies’ is my debut film and I had to endure a lot of challenges during its making. So it really feels great to see the film being so appreciated. It encourages me to make better films in the future”, says Deka.