Palace of Colours

The earth originated from a deep, endless ocean, enveloped in darkness. Thakur Jivi has a dream of what the earth should be like, full of trees, birds and other living creatures. “This is our story, or rather, my version of it,” says the female narrator. Her hypnotic voice accompanies a series of images that are associatively connected with the creation story of the Indian Santhali people, which she is relating. Documentary filmmaker Prantik Basu is fascinated by these kinds of ancient, orally transmitted stories that have changed and adapted over time and are told in many versions.

Palace of Colors is an ode to the oral storytelling tradition. The camera slowly scans a colorful limestone quarry on the border between Bengal and Jharkhand. Men collect the limestone, which is used to decorate their houses in the run-up to the annual Sohrai festival. Picturesque images of the ancient landscape flow into shots of the village, nature becomes culture and past becomes present.