In remote villages of Assam, when a person falls ill, the villagers suspect another person to have caused some evil. In Assamese colloquial language, the one accused as a "witch," called "Daini / Daina," is mostly a woman. Identifying the supposed "witch" possessing evil abilities is an elaborate ritual called "daini dhora" (witch catch) which is a process that involves activities that are humiliating and torturous. Witch-hunting, hence, is the campaign directed against people who are labelled as witches. Reports of such atrocities cover the pages of the newspaper. It tells the story of a rising number of women falling victim to society's superstitious beliefs, which may be as grave as murdering the victims.The topic is approached through a detailed analysis on the social, economic, religious, and the philosophical.
The project attempts to weave a story of the life of the survivors, the women from villages situated in the district of Goalpara in the Assam-Meghalaya border. As most victims are women, it can be considered a targeted crime against a particular gender. For tribal women, it is a double whammy suffering a steeper marginalisation attributable to her gender and indigenous identity in the hinterlands of the country.
Boi Thaka (The Flow of Resilience) is a short documentary film lacing video footage, images, and text. The narrative of the film is told through a journal discovered by the filmmaker filled with painful memories about women being branded as witches in their village, written down every detail by Monjula.
The filmmaker's memory in the form of recollections and reflections entwines with the memory of the survivors. As the filmmaker attempts to interpret the diary while simultaneously dwelling on her recollections of her experiences in the village, she constantly navigates through retelling their trauma through voice overs from the filmmaker and the women.
