Echoes Within

“Can I be nostalgic about something I’ve never experienced?” asks debut filmmaker Pranami Koch. She has in mind her grandmother, a person she never knew who belonged to the Koches, a people in India with their own culture and traditions. In her search for connection and identity, Pranami travels to the countryside and immerses herself in the Koch community.

Impressions of life on the land intermingle with subjective and often poetic reflections on topics such as the loss of language and culture. We see the women at work and at play: chopping wood and fishing, but also jumping into the river to frolic in the water. They also frequently lift their voices in song— because that, too, is an essential part of being a Koch woman. The filmmaker also reflects on the battles fought by the women who came before her.

Except for a single scene featuring her father, Koch focuses exclusively on the females of this matrilineal community where women head each family. We sense liberation, confidence, and community. A personal project that also has much to say about the position of minorities in India.