About the Flim
Sama in the Forest ( 2023 / Maithili, English / 75 mins )
This hybrid documentary is set in contemporary Mithila, where a rich cultural identity extends from the mythical past into a globalized present in which pressures on tradition are accelerating. Maithil identity is passed on in part through its renowned painting tradition, as well as through its lesser known wealth of orally transmitted folktales. Women play a central role in both of these expressions. In a creative collaboration with local community members, we highlight the tale of Sama, a young princess who wanders into the forest and befriends a young man, only to be slandered by a muckraking confidante of the king, and subsequently cursed and banished by her father. The film combines footage of women telling different versions of the tale, the making of elaborate narrative paintings, a dramatization of the story, a yearly festival that celebrates Sama, and in-depth conversations about the morals and meanings of this and other traditional tales. The girls and women at the heart of our film are students and teachers at the Mithila Art Institute
關於影片
《森林中的薩瑪》Sama in the Forest 2023 ／ 邁蒂利語、英語 ／ 75 分鐘
本片為混合式紀錄片，以當代印度米蒂拉地區為背景。這片土地擁有深厚而獨特的文化認同——神話傳說的根脈延伸至全球化的當下，而傳統文化正承受著日益加速的衝擊與消逝。邁蒂利的文化認同，一方面透過享譽國際的邁蒂利畫作傳承，另一方面也藉由鮮為人知的口傳民間故事延續。女性，在這兩種表達形式中都扮演了核心角色。
影片以創作協作的方式，與當地社群共同重現薩瑪的古老傳說——年輕的公主獨自走入森林，與一名青年相識相知，卻遭國王佞臣惡意中傷，最終被父王詛咒驅逐。影片融合了多位女性講述同一故事的不同版本、繁複敘事畫作的製作過程、故事的戲劇演繹、一年一度慶祝薩瑪的傳統節慶，以及圍繞這些民間故事的道德與意涵所展開的深度對話。
片中的核心人物——女孩與女性們——皆是米蒂拉藝術學院的學生與老師。這所小型學校專為有志於藝術的年輕人而設立。片中亦有來自不同性別、種姓與世代的社區成員參與，共同描繪出當今米蒂拉社會中複雜而真實的張力。
