Mode of Revival / ၵ︀ံတ︀ႝ ဢ︀ွ် ပ︀ွက︀်မ︀ႃ

Synopsis

It's heartening to see leading activists from an ethnic community trying to save India’s only monosyllabic language from extinction. Barely 25 people speak the Khamyang language. It is in the UNESCO list of critically endangered languages worldwide and belongs exclusively to a Buddhist tribe, the Tai Khamyang of eastern Assam domicile. The documentary captures a process of language revival, with youngsters learning their mother tongue through practising songs and rehearsing stage play.  The narrative follows two dedicated souls, a school teacher Pyoseng Chowlu and an engineer Aie Cheng King Chowlu. The film also features Melbourne based linguistic expert Prof. Stephen Morey, native octogenarian speaker Bhugeswar Thowmung, late Deben Chowlik, eminent scholar Bhimkanta Baruah, along with cultural activists, religious practitioners and others. It took three years in making the film, documenting an ethnic community's resilience in adverse conditions that presented an optimistic sign.