State girl’s movie ‘Yak’ wins award

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, March 21

Yak, known as the ship of mountains, is not only an animal, but also the source of livelihood for tribals living in the Himalayan belt. Being from Kinnaur, acclaimed filmmaker and director Renu Negi knows how precious the animal is for locals.

So when she got an offer from the ICAR to make a film on the animal with the National Yak Research Centre at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh, she used all her experience and expertise to make the film, highlighting how scientific research had been instrumental in saving yak from extinction.

“I poured my heart out while making the film ‘Yak’ for the ICAR. I have spent my childhood with the animal, which is so precious for tribes of the entire Himalayan belt. I value the award and recognition that I have received for the film,” Renu Negi said over phone. The noted filmmaker was conferred the Silver Beaver Award for her film ‘Yak’ in the eighth National Science Film Festival of India-2018 held here recently.

“I made the film in 2017 by spending considerable time with my entire unit in Arunachal Pradesh, especially in Dirang, among the tribal people there. I have made so many films on tribal people and in remote areas during my 15-year-long career, but making ‘Yak’ has been tremendously satisfying,” the producer-director said.