SonOfZeus: Created page with "{{Short description|2018 Meitei film}} {{About|a Meitei language film|the Hindi film|Fireflies (2014 film)}} {{Contains special characters|Meitei}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox film | name = Fireflies | director = Rajkumar Johnson | producer = Film Division of India{{IMDB title|8011806|Fireflies 2018}} | based_on = the journey of the Meira Paibis (women social activists) to save the society, includi..."

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Created page with "{{Short description|2018 Meitei film}} {{About|a Meitei language film|the Hindi film|Fireflies (2014 film)}} {{Contains special characters|Meitei}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox film | name = Fireflies | director = Rajkumar Johnson | producer = Film Division of India<ref name="imdb">{{IMDB title|8011806|Fireflies 2018}}</ref> | based_on = the journey of the Meira Paibis (women social activists) to save the society, includi..."

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{{Short description|2018 Meitei film}}
{{About|a [[Meitei language]] film|the Hindi film|Fireflies (2014 film)}}
{{Contains special characters|Meitei}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Fireflies
| director = Rajkumar Johnson
| producer = Film Division of India<ref name="imdb">{{IMDB title|8011806|Fireflies 2018}}</ref>
| based_on = the journey of the [[Meira Paibi]]s (women social activists) to save the society, including the menfolk, from the crimes of the armed forces.<ref name=DC>{{cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/040118/women-torchbearers-of-change-in-manipur.html|publisher=Deccan Chronicle|author=Ralph Alex Arakal|title=Women, torchbearers of change in Manipur|date=January 4, 2018}}</ref>
| music = Jimbo Ningombam
| cinematography = Andy Tourangbam<ref name="klmdb">{{Cite web|title=Fireflies (2018) - Full Cast & Crew Credits - KLMDb|url=https://klmdb.com/title/0000593/full-credits|access-date=2021-09-18|website=klmdb.com}}</ref>
| editing = Akash Basumatari<ref name="klmdb"/>
| layout_artist = Sanjana Bhatt
| studio = Film Division of India<ref name="imdb"/>
| released = {{Film date|2018|01|01|ref1=<ref name="imdb"/>}}
| runtime = 6 minutes
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Meitei language|Meitei]] ([[Manipuri language|Manipuri]])
| budget = $ 200 (estimated)<ref name="imdb"/>
}}

'''Fireflies''' is a 2018 [[India|Indian]] [[Meitei language]] documentary short film, directed by Johnson Rajkumar. It portrays the struggles of the [[Meira Paibi]]s to protect the people from crimes in [[Manipur]] state, and the role of women in the conflicting and male-dominated society of [[Manipur]]. It looks at how the [[gender gap]] and [[gender identity|gender identities]] are settled during times of conflict and violence in the society.<ref name=DC /><ref name=Imphal>{{cite news|url=https://www.imphaltimes.com/news/item/16258-manipuri-documentary-selected-in-kathmandu-film-festival|author=Huirem Naresh|title=Manipuri Documentary Selected in Kathmandu Film Festival|date=December 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name=Doc>{{cite news|url=http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=news_section.Top_Stories.Top_Stories_2019.Fireflies_Manipuri_documentary_at_Kathmandu_Film_Festival_20191212|title=Fireflies : Manipuri documentary selected in Kathmandu Film Festival - December 13th 2019 : by Kathmandu International Mountain Film Fest - |publisher=E-PAO|year=2019}}</ref><ref name=East>{{cite web|url=https://www.eastmojo.com/news/2019/12/20/manipuri-documentary-fireflies-screened-at-kathmandu-film-fest/|publisher=East Mojo|title=Manipuri documentary ‘Fireflies’ screened at Kathmandu film fest |author=EastMojo News Bureau|date=December 20, 2019}}</ref>

The film shows women reacting to the rising cases of disappearance of men. This took place after the [[Armed Forces Special Powers Act]] (AFSPA) was applied to [[Manipur]] state. The important point of the movie is that women stand up for the safety, security and better survival of the men.<ref name=DC />

== Plot ==
In 1980s, when [[Manipur]] was exposed to revolutionaries and armed violence, a group of women came out to the streets to uphold peace in the state. These groups were called the [[Meira Paibi]]s. They were the freely independent women's organisations. They participated in the willing patrols during the night. They held the flaming torches and tried to bring balance in the society.<ref name="imdb"/><ref name="klmdb"/>

== Background ==
In [[India]], women are mostly seen to be confined in their homes. In reality, they are the important members of every social movement. But they are always seen as not related. Women of [[Manipur]] contributed a lot towards the welfare of the social conditions. This really inspired Johnson Rajkumar, the maker of the "Fireflies".<ref name=DC />

He tried to show the influence of gender roles in conflicts and violence. If men were holding such responsibilities, they would have been falsely grouped into rebels. According to Johnson, the movie shows that women's collective has more to do beyond pro-feminists.<ref name=DC />

Rajkumar went to [[Bangalore]] for higher education. There, he realised that the issues from [[Manipur]] and the [[North East India]] were not truly represented or interpreted in the national media news. Hence, he created the "Fireflies" to fight the set false stories. He wanted to show the best formal true facts.<ref name=DC />

== Production ==
The film is financially supported by the "Samaj Pragati Sahayog", a social media platform based in [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]]. Additionally, it is supported by the "Film Division of India".

Rajkumar is the director of the movie and a Manipuri media activist. He lives in [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]]. He has been making documentary movies on social and political issues. He focuses on social movements and protests.<ref name="Nenow">{{cite news|url=https://nenow.in/entertainment/manipuri-documentary-makes-athens-greece.html|date=December 26, 2017|title=Manipuri documentary makes it to Athens, Greece|publisher=Northeast Now News}}</ref><ref name="Kangla">{{cite press release|url=http://kanglaonline.com/2017/12/manipuri-documentary-film-selected-in-athens-greece/|title=Manipuri documentary film selected in Athens, Greece|date=December 25, 2017|publisher=Kangla Online}}</ref>

== Accolades and recognition ==
The film won many awards in international film festivals. These were held in different countries of the world.<ref name=Imphal /><ref name=East /><ref name=Doc />

=== Awards ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Awards
! Category
! Results
|-
| Arthouse Asia International Film Festival, Kolkata (2018)
| Best Short Documentary
| {{won}}
|-
| Chennai International Short Film Festival, Chennai (2018)
| 2nd place in Best Short Documentary
| {{won}}
|}

=== Official selection ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Film Festivals
! Venues
! Year
|-
| 3rd Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival
| [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]]
| 2018
|-
| Balkan Can Kino
| [[Athens]], [[Greece]]
| 2018
|-
| Frames Film Festival
| [[Mumbai]], [[India]]
| 2018
|-
| National Documentary and Short Film Festival
| [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]]
| 2018
|-
| Art and Imphal Festival
| [[Imphal]], [[Manipur]]
| 2018
|-
| International Film Festival "Cinema and You"
| [[:en:Mariupol|Mariupol]], [[Ukraine]]
| -
|-
| Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival
| [[Kathmandu]], [[Nepal]]
| 2019
|-
| Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival
| [[Mumbai]], [[India]]
| -
|-
| Davis Feminist Film Festival
| [[California]]
| -
|-
| Culture Diversity and Peace Short Film Festival
| [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]
| 2019
|-
| Human Rights Short Film Festival
| [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]
| -
|}

== See also ==
* [[Women in Meitei culture]]
* [[Nupi Lan]]
* [[Ima Keithel]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.manipur.org/news/2017/12/24/manipuri-documentary-film-selected-in-athens-greece/ Manipuri documentary film selected in Athens, Greece]

[[Category:Meitei-language films]]
[[Category:2018 documentary films]]
[[Category:2018 films]]
[[Category:History of Manipur]]
[[Category:Women in Meitei culture]]

Fireflies (2018 film) - Revision history