Synopsis

​

“Northeast” an erstwhile and popular term/category/tag/stereotype that has captured the imagination of all. The question is - where does the category originate? What informs its definition and meaning? And how does it translate into the lives of people who are tagged as “Northeaster-ner”? 

 

“Reframing Northeast” is an attempt to revisit the term “Northeast” through the lived experiences, realities, sentiments and the diverse perspectives from people living in Northeast of India, the Northeast Indian diaspora across the country as well as persons who are a mixed race of Northeastern and mainland Indian ethnicity. A series of intimate conversations among so-called “Northeasterners'' of diverse background and region - educators, linguists, academicians, researchers, activists, journalists, writers, etc, the series provides a rich narrative of personal and subjective experiences. Nilza Angmo, a native of India and  Tibetan by origin also recounts her experiences of being confused as one and the intersection of it with her own struggle for identity. Ktien, an educator, a linguist and a queer activist who has thereby taken up the identity politically and lives in Nagaland also shares their account. 

​

​

Artists' statement

​

So much to speak and so less have been spoken of…

 

An invitation to witness, share a space and dwell together as well as to walk together in the process of our becoming and unbecoming and the future - speaking as and against the tag of “northeast” or “northeastern-er”. To what?!

​

• An additional effort - critical and analytical - of the way the term “northeast” and the region, the people, the cultures and the socio-political issues that are clubbed in it are perceived, thought/imagined, spoken of, documented, represented and reported. To begin from the very process of questioning the origin and relevance of the term/tag “northeast” - deconstructing “northeast” and reframing it.  

• To add vocality to the visuality of the way the term/tag is represented, perceived and imagined. Vocality - with special reference to tone and tonality - to help elucidate a political speech act. The emotional and mental/intellectual space from where a speech act is coming from and the emotional and mental/intellectual labour it is calling for.

• To present as diverse modes of assertion as possible - as diverse as the people, cultures and aspirations. Acknowledging contradictions and conflicts in opinion as essential and fundamental in initiating a process of deconstruction. 

• To pay homage to the rich history and cultural diversity and diversity of lived experiences and aspirations and thereby similarities, contradictions and conflicts as an exhibit of the scope and might of philosophical, political, literary and intellectual meditation of the people on themselves, their concerns, their intentions with reference to their own personal, regional as well as nationalistic and wordly realities.

• To pay homage to repetition, fillers, and disrupted speech acts or losing track of mind in between speech as an acknowledgement to the history and the process in our struggle to assert; while we begin to assert and while we are asserting. 

• Foregrounding queer and queerness as a polical identity and strategy of reading a socio political issue and in imagining the way forward as as valid alternative, in fact, potentially a leading philosophy in understanding, analysing and thinking forward of the erstwhile issues and concerns of the region and the people from the region. 

​

The series is a witness to the processes of individual journeys and reflection/introspection on one’s identities and lived realities as well as the assimilation, friendship, collectivisation and politicisation on the very same. The series is an attempt to pay homage to many such processes - individual and of collectives and friends. And reenact, recreate and offer the same to a larger audience. 

​

​

About the artists

​

The Chinky Homo Project is a digital queer anthology project that seek to archive lives and lived realities of queer people from Northeast India. Currently it is co-run by Chhani, Yanam, David and Pavel. 

​

​

Credits

​

Episode 1 | Featured guests | Ktien, Samhita Barooah, Viveka Gurung 

Episode 2 | Featured guests | Nilza Angmo, Romal Laishram 

Music composition |  Heisnam Shantanu Singh

Sound engineer | Sapam Shankar