The Man Who Put Garo Film On Celluloid

Filmmaker Dominic Sangma started making films to be able to share his stories with the world

- Manjum Mahanta

Making a good film begins with a good story, and Garo filmmaker, Dominic Megam Sangma has got it down to a T. Hailing from the West Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, he has always been a storyteller since he was a little child. ‘My family has many people who are oral storytellers. Back when I was little, there was no access to electricity in my village. It was only at the age of 10 that I came across a television. The first time I saw a film was when a rich family in the village hired a television and screened a film. Growing up, I loved writing and telling stories, but even as a teenager, I never thought that one day I would make a film,’ shared Dominic, in a conversation with Eclectic NorthEast.

A post-graduate from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, India, the 31-year-old filmmaker worked in National Film and Development Corporation Ltd for two years, before he opened his own production company called ANNA FILMS. He also teaches Direction and Script Writing at the Film and Television Institute, Itanagar, India. He was in a preview committee for International Film Festival of India 2017 and also in a selection committee for the 2nd Guwahati International Film Festival. He had directed a number of short films and documentaries, and his films have competed and been showcased in many international film festivals including the La Fabrique Cinéma, 2019 Cannes.

‘I wasn’t even aware of filmmaking schools out there. It was only at college that I came across the premiere film institute in India. I never thought that I would be a filmmaker, while in school. I did like poetry and drama, although I did not pursue them in college. There is a series of events that led me to becoming a filmmaker. People take up filmmaking for different interests. I took up filmmaking because I could use the medium to express my stories.’

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