Tibetan youth bags Best Editing Award at 65th National Film Awards
DHARAMSALA, May 4: A Tibetan youth has bagged the Best Editing Award at the 65th National Film Awards, one of the most prominent film award ceremonies in India.
Tenzin Kunchok, a Tibetan youth based in New Delhi received the Best Editing Award in Non-Feature Film section for the movie ‘Mrityubhoj- The Death Feast’. The documentary, which Tenzin co-edited with Sanjiv Monga, was adjudged the winner for its well-paced editing of a sombre subject that keeps the audience engaged till the end. By winning the prestigious award, the biggest feat by any Tibetan professional in film and TV industry till now, Tenzin has set the benchmark high for Tibetan professionals in film and TV industry.
The 52-minute long documentary is based on a death feast custom called ‘Mrityubhoj’ practised by Hindus in India after the death of a family member. On the thirteenth day after the cremation, the custom requires the deceased’s family to feed at least thirteen ‘Brahmins’, make material offerings to them in the name of achieving peace to the soul of the dead and throw a feast to the relatives, friends and neighbours.
But today the custom has turned into a scale to measure the status symbol to reflect a family’s social standing and activists are calling to put an end to the custom. ‘Mrityubhoj- The Death Feast’ documents the practice of the custom in Chambal district in India and follows the story of a son from the district in predicament of being caught between both.
Tenzin Kunchok, a Tibetan Children’s Village alumnus, studied at the Delhi college or Arts in the Indian capital and has previously worked for BBC and NDTV as an editor, has also edited the Tibetan film “Girl from China” directed by Sonam Tseten.
Kunchok received the National Film Award from information and Broadcasting Minister, Smriti Irani and Minister of State, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore yesterday at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
