Assamese filmmaker Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap has been awarded the ‘Secret Program Fellini’ Award at the 27th Lucania Film Festival in Pisticci, Basilicata, Italy, for his film ‘Kok Kok Kokoook’.
The Fellini Award is presented in honour of celebrated filmmaker Federico Fellini as a tribute to his extraordinary contribution to world cinema and enduring influence on generations of filmmakers.
The award was part of the festival’s Secret Program, curated by Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Makhmalbaf curated Kok Kok Kokoook for the programme and presented Kashyap with the award.
Kok Kok Kokoook is currently having its European premiere at the Lucania Film Festival. The film first premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and later screened at festivals including the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and the Dhaka International Film Festival.
The film has a particularly special journey as it was made by Kashyap as his graduation project at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI). Kok Kok Kokoook began as a film-school project and has now earned international recognition.
Kok Kok Kokoook is an Assamese film about Siken, a migrant chicken seller who has a deep love for his RX100 motorcycle. When his motorcycle goes missing, Siken is left heartbroken. He also fears that he may be falsely blamed in a police case. As his situation becomes stranger, he eventually transforms into the motorcycle himself.
The film uses magic realism to explore contemporary politics in Assam and India, while also focusing on the struggles faced by migrants.
