#Mountain Standard Time Performative Art Festival Society

[orbookstore]

New Arrival: Rita McKeough: Works

This critical monograph documents Rita McKeough’s collaborative artistic process and pedagogy from the late 1970s on; her interactions with visual and media arts communities in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary, particularly alternative music and performance scenes; and the audio, installation and performance work that is her ongoing contribution to the contemporary Canadian art community.

EDITOR: Diana Sherlock

AUTHORS: Anthea Black, Eli D. Campanaro, Elizabeth Diggon, Johanna Householder, Areum Kim, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Deidre Logue, Jude Major, Rita McKeough, Jeanne Randolph, Mary Scott

PUBLISHERS: EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society, M:ST Performative Art Festival, TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary

Includes vinyl record with five audio works from installations and performances—Shiver (1995), Opponent and My Heart Beats too Fast from In bocca al lupo/ In the Mouth of the Wolf (1991), Lament from Dancing on a Plate (1991), Veins(2016) and one new composition, Ashes (2017).

A limited number of the publications include an artist multiple by Rita McKeough that references The Lion’s Share (2012), an exhibition which incorporated kinetics, performance, and sound, and used a humorous and dream-like scenario to raise questions about the complexities of our relationship to eating animals.

This project has been generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development and the City of Calgary, EMMEDIA, M:ST and TRUCK; institutional sponsor, the Alberta College of Art + Design; and community contributors, Owens Art Gallery, Sackville University and NSCAD University.

$75, Slipcase, Hardcover Publication, 12” Vinyl

$280, Boxset, Hardcover Publication, 12” Vinyl, Limited Edition Carrot and Text Multiple.

Photos by Marc Hutchinson

[northernstories]

Meet Jacquie Medina, an outdoor education professor and NMU alumni from Plainfield, Ill. We asked Jacquie a few questions about her NMU experience: 

Why did you decide to work at NMU? Why did you decide to live in Marquette?

Jacquie: I lived in Marquette as a student at NMU in the 1980’s and as an adjunct instructor in the 1990’s. I fell in love with Lake Superior and the surrounding landscape during my recruiting visit and throughout my undergraduate years. As an athlete, I gained a strong sense of pride for NMU, the community, and my teammates. As a student, I was mentored by excellent instructors, challenged to uphold high standards, and introduced to the natural beauty of the Upper Peninsula. These connections and foundations remained with me over the years. 

For much of my adult life, I taught outdoor education in the western United States, however, teaching outdoor education at NMU and in Marquette is the optimal location. We are surrounded by an outdoor classroom in which we can hike, bike, camp, climb, paddle, and ski within minutes of campus. The Marquette community and university culture support an active outdoor lifestyle. It was always one of my goals to return to NMU to teach and mentor students and to give back to the school, program, and community that supported my own personal and professional growth.

What are you involved in within the university as well as outside of campus?

Jacquie: On campus now: Honors Board Committee Co-Chair, CNAS Faculty Affairs Committee, Sustainability Advisory Council, Presidential Scholar Interviews, Wildcat Weekend, NMU Rec Sports and NMU Sports fan.

Local involvement: Board Member for the Marquette Regional History Center; volunteer with local events including Hiawatha Music Festival, Fresh Coast Film Festival, Michigan Ice Fest, and Noquemanon Ski Race; attend Marquette arts and culture events; collect oral histories of people in the community; and advocate for experiential learning opportunities for ORLM students with local non-profit agencies and schools.

As an NMU student: I was a member of the women’s volleyball team for four years and co-captain my senior year. I worked for NMU Rec Sports in most positions available (lifeguard, building supervisor, outdoor rec center, camp counselor) and played many intramural sports. I was active in my residence hall (Spalding Hall/Misty Mountain floor!) and participated in homecoming games and Winterfest. I had a blast working one summer as an NMU Summer Orientation counselor, and one semester, I served as a student instructor in an outdoor recreation canoeing class.

Outside of work, what do you enjoy?

Jacquie: I enjoy spending time in nature exploring, paddling, hiking, and cross-country skiing. I enjoy working out, building furniture, creating and playing with various art mediums, spending time with family, pets, and friends; watching my son participate in sports and theater, cooking and eating ethnic foods, trying new microbrews, attending theater/music/dance performances, reading/journaling, and exploring sustainable living practices.

Advice for current students?

Jacquie: Meet people. Have a conversation. Talk to your professors. Open your mind to new ideas and ways of thinking and doing. Go outside. Get involved. Become a part of the local community. Believe in yourself. Be true to who you are and embrace your uniqueness. Others will learn and grow by knowing you.

What does “be Northern” mean to you?

Jacquie: To be kind, courageous, and playful. To go outside. To try new things. To be open to learning. To be part of something bigger than myself.

Why do you wear a mask? 

Jacquie: I wear a mask to protect my family, friends, community, and self. I wear it because it matters.

How have you been practicing social distancing?

Jacquie: Maintaining 6 feet or more between myself and others. Spending time outdoors. Allowing only people in our family and “bubble” into our home.

How has COVID-19 changed your perspective or your lifestyle?

Jacquie: I have learned that I can adapt at a moment’s notice. This lesson has allowed me to face challenges with more confidence. COVID-19 has forced me to develop my online knowledge, skills, and abilities. Old ways of thinking and doing may not work in our current society. We must open our minds and hearts to change and new possibilities. It is more important than ever for us to be united as a society and people. I like to think the pandemic has fostered compassion and empathy among people. We must move beyond thinking, hoping and wanting, and start doing and speaking. As a family, we have learned to work, live, go to school, and play in our home. This has taken patience and compromise. We have become more aware of our individual and group needs and the importance and breadth of our overall health and wellbeing.

Tell me your story.

Jacquie: I always knew I wanted to go to college. As a first-generation college student, my parents didn’t quite understand my ambition, incessant inquiry, and desire to live in such a cold, remote area as Marquette, MI. My love for the outdoors drew me to NMU. The minute I saw Lake Superior in all her frozen glory, I knew I had to be here. Choosing NMU was a great decision! I was able to play hard, work hard, create lasting relationships, and gain a quality education. My classmates, teammates, mentors, and experiences at NMU laid the foundation for me to pursue my ambitions as a coach and outdoor educator. My NMU professors were significant in helping me to network professionally and were my biggest advocates for pursuing graduate and doctoral school. It is my hope that I am continuing the NMU legacy by inspiring my students, helping them find their passions, advocating for their ambitions, and fostering their stewardship for people and the natural environment. Go Wildcats!!

[ivisitlondon]

iVisit... Hayward Gallery to reopen and new events for Southbank Centre’s Inside Out series are announced

The Southbank Centre announces that the Hayward Gallery will reopen on 19 May, with two much-anticipated, solo exhibitions by Matthew Barney and Igshaan Adams.

The announcement comes as a new slate of events for Inside Out, an online season of music and literature are released. This next instalment of the popular digital series will see the Southbank Centre’s Resident Orchestras performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, marking the first time the much-loved venue has been open since it closed last March due to Covid-19.

The orchestras are joined by a roster of leading international artists, including conductors Ben Gernon, Enrique Mazzola, Fabien Gabel, Robin Ticciati, Rory MacDonald, Ryan Bancroft and Sir Mark Elder and soloists Alexandra Dariescu, Denis Kozhukhin, Paul Lewis, Pavel Kolesnikov and Steven Isserlis.

A further series of Inside Out events will be announced in the coming weeks. The Southbank Centre’s reopening plans will then be announced in due course, subject to government guidance.

Gillian Moore CBE, Director of Music and Performing Arts, Southbank Centre, says: “We’re making a very warm welcome back to our orchestral partners this Spring for our ongoing Inside Out series. It’s going to be wonderful to see them back in the Southbank Centre doing what they do best, performing much-loved music with world-class conductors and soloists. We know these events will continue to bring a little bit of light into our homes as we look forward to reopening our shared spaces later this year.”

HAYWARD GALLERY:

Matthew Barney: Redoubt

19 May – 25 July 2021

From 19 May through 25 July 2021 the Hayward Gallery presents Matthew Barney: Redoubt, an exhibition of the renowned artist and filmmaker’s latest body of work. The exhibition, the artist’s first major museum show in the UK in over a decade, presents a group of monumental sculptures, and more than forty engravings and electroplated copper plates. Also included is the UK premiere of Barney’s new eponymous film, a ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ chronicle that explores the complex relationships between humans, and the natural world. Set in the sublime wintry landscape of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountain range, the feature-length film intertwines themes of artistic creation in a contemporary reworking of the classical myth of Diana and Actaeon.

Redoubt presents a major new direction in Barney’s practice, and advances his notable shift in materials over the past decade, from the plastic and petroleum jelly of his earlier works to the cast metals that figured prominently in River of Fundament, 2014. With Redoubt, Barney combines traditional casting methods and new digital technologies in an unprecedented way to create artworks of formal and material complexity as well as narrative density. The four large-scale sculptures in the exhibition derive from trees harvested from a burned forest in the Sawtooth Mountains. Formed out of molten copper and brass, the unique casts incorporate enlarged militarised elements, giving the sculptures a hybridised aesthetic that is both imposing and intricate.

Matthew Barney: Redoubt was originally organised by the Yale University Art Gallery.

Igshaan Adams: Kicking Dust

19 May – 25 July 2021

In May 2021, the Hayward Gallery presents the first solo exhibition in the UK of South African artist Igshaan Adams (b. 1982). The 2018 winner of the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award, Igshaan Adams lives and works in Cape Town. The artist’s cross-disciplinary practice combines aspects of weaving, sculpture and installation whilst exploring concerns related to race, religion and sexuality.

The exhibition consists largely of new work produced during an artist residency Adams undertook at the A4 Foundation in Cape Town and on the occasion of the show. Presented as a single immersive environment with suspended sculptures, large-scale floor based weavings and tapestries hung on the wall, the installation responds to Hayward’s iconic Brutalist gallery space. Each work, and the exhibition as a whole, is composed of multiple patterns that explore the potential of woven material to reflect not only the multiplicities of Adams’ own identity but of broader cultural interchange.

RESIDENT ORCHESTRAS:

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and London Sinfonietta return to the Southbank Centre in March and April for streamed concerts featuring world-renowned conductors and soloists, as well as programming for young people. The events announced today will run to 28 April, with subsequent digital programming from 28 April onwards to be announced in due course. Tickets will be available to the general public from 2pm on Friday 5 March.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra presents six concerts filmed by Intersection (formerly Silent Studios) which will be available for audiences to watch for free on Marquee.tv from 24 March. The concerts will be streamed every Wednesday at 8pm from 24 March and will feature conductors Enrique Mazzola, Robin Ticciati and Sir Mark Elder, as well as soloists Steven Isserlis, Denis Kozhukhin and Alexandra Dariescu. Programme details for later concerts will soon be revealed but will include two of the Orchestra’s titled conductors Karina Canellakis and Vladimir Jurowski, who conducts his final concerts at the Royal Festival Hall before stepping into the Conductor Emeritus role.

Tickets will be free for the first seven days after broadcast and concerts will be captured before their premiere date.

The Philharmonia Orchestra presents two global streams to be presented on the orchestra’s own dedicated channel. On Thursday 25 March, the Philharmonia will be joined by conductor Ryan Bancroft and pianist Paul Lewis for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. On Thursday 1 April, Rory MacDonald will then lead the orchestra for a programme of Tchaikovsky and Sibelius, with Pavel Kolesnikov performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Tickets start at £10 and concerts will be captured before their premiere date.

The London Sinfonietta’s ‘Sound Out Online’ is the orchestra’s annual concert for children and young people and goes online for the first time to bring pupils closer to iconic contemporary music from the past century (22 March). As part of the orchestra’s Composition Challenges scheme, the concert features new works submitted by young people, as the London Sinfonietta continues to inspire a new generation of composers to get creative with classical music.

This event is free and will be streamed live on YouTube, exclusively for the Southbank Centre on Monday 22 March from 2 – 2.50pm. It is designed for Key Stage 2.

Previously announced online music and literature events as part of Inside Out include Skin (4 Mar), Black Country, New Road (6 Mar), London Contemporary Orchestra (19 Mar), Bell Orchestre (13 Mar), Hanif Abdurraquib (25 Mar), Out-Spoken (28 Mar), Kazuo and Naomi Ishiguro (5 Apr), Olivia Laing (30 Apr) and Jhumpa Lahiri (6 May). Tickets are onsale.

Elsewhere at the Southbank Centre:

WINTER LIGHT

Winter Light (extended until 28 March) is a free open-air exhibition that enlivens the site’s iconic buildings and the Riverside Walk with luminous, playful and thought-provoking artworks during the darkest months of the year. Featuring a range of leading international artists, Winter Light includes artworks, new commissions and a series of poems that make ingenious use of light, colour and animation whilst touching on diverse concerns.

At a time when we view so much of the world through digital screens, the artists in this exhibition celebrate how the medium of light can transform our physical spaces. Their artworks also explore ideas about nature, politics and society, gender, aesthetics and the act of looking. Winter Light includes artworks by artists including: Simeon Barclay, David Batchelor, James Clar, Shezad Dawood, Kota Ezawa, Navine G. Khan-Dossos, Suzie Larke, Tala Madani, Tatsuo Miyajima, Louiza Ntourou, Katie Paterson, Jini Reddy, Tavares Strachan, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Emma Talbot and Toby Ziegler.

IMAGINE A STORY

Coinciding with World Book Day, the Southbank Centre is inviting 40 primary schools to take part in this year’s creative writing project Imagine a Story, giving young children the chance to become published authors. Children’s author Zanib Mian and illustrator Selom Sunu are collaborating on the project, which is open to classes of Key Stage 2 children (years 3 – 6), with online applications closing Sunday 14 March.

In this project inspired by a ‘game of consequences’ each school group writes one segment of a creative story based on a framework devised by Zanib Mian (Planet Omar: Operation Kind – published for World Book Day 2021; Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission; Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spy), the author of brilliant and diverse children’s fiction, who will inspire them to develop their collaborative work in classrooms to support their development and personal wellbeing.

These chapters will then be combined into a collection of short stories and professionally published by the Southbank Centre, with illustrations by Selom Sunu (Ghost; Patina; Sunny; Lu; Look Both Ways) Zanib Mian and Selom Sunu will read the final stories which will be live-streamed to participating primary school classrooms in July and each child will receive a copy of the published book.

In addition, the Southbank Centre’s nationwide participation programme, Art by Post has been shortlisted for "Award for the Best Larger Social Prescribing Project" as part of the Social Prescribing Network Awards. The ceremony is on 4 March with winners to be announced from 3.30 – 5pm.

[031cinephile]

41ST DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL WITH ONLINE DIGITAL EDITION

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), will once again host the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) from 10 to 20 September 2020. Now celebrating its landmark 41st year, this prestigious South African international film festival is a unique phenomenon on the African cultural calendar. This year the festival will screen selected films, host seminars and workshops virtually and include limited drive-in cinema screenings in Durban, Port Shepstone, Newcastle and Zululand.

Opening Night’s Film stars the late legendary leading actress Mary Twala in her final role, with a virtual and a drive-in screening of the film “This is not a Burial, but a Resurrection”, by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese. The film is co-production between South Africa, Lesotho and Italy. The visually striking drama, set in the mountains of Lesotho, opens with an elderly widow named Mantoa (Mary Twala), grieving the loss of her son. Determined to die and be laid to rest with her family, her plans are interrupted when she discovers that the village and its cemetery will be forcibly resettled to make way for a dam reservoir. Refusing to let the dead be desecrated, she finds a new will to live and ignites a collective spirit of defiance within her community.

“This film was specifically selected to open the festival, because it sheds some light onto the land issues in Lesotho by telling a very personal story through the journey of one woman. Its sophisticated imagery, the stunning, haunting landscapes that appreciate the depth of the magnificence that is the African landscape and how this was intertwined so effortlessly into the narrative is a true homage to African folklore.” says Head of Programming Chipo Zhou.

Closing Film is the thriller Dust, directed by Pieter du Plessis, and with actress Shana Mans in the lead role. A story of female oppression and emancipation, a contemporary look at the current global discourse on women’s rights. This film is apt on the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic whose effects will be seen and felt globally for years to come.

This year’s opening and closing film selections are narratives that push boundaries and open up dialogue to contemporary challenges being faced in society today. Both films celebrate unparalleled performances by two South African leading ladies.

“Both narratives are about finding strength and resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable injustice and speak very much on the human emotional need to connect, belong and be a part of something much greater than themselves. Set in two very different worlds, and centred on seemingly unconnected issues, both films tackle loss and trauma delicately and uniquely.” Says Zhou.

The Programme The festival has curated a film programme consisting of 60 offerings consisting of shorts, documentaries and feature films. The plots in the selected films, through different lenses, show contemporary relevance to the challenges currently faced by the world which has, over the last years, progressively begun to interrogate history to right wrongs and restore human dignity to previously disenfranchised populaces. Some of the films that highlight these themes include Our Lady of the Nile, directed by Atiq Rahimi, which takes us on a journey that juxtaposes religion and mythology in a beautiful tale set on the backdrop of the Tutsi and Hutu conflict that ravaged Rwanda for decades. Ouvertures, directed by Louis Henderson and Olivier Marboeuf, explores the social abundance and history of Haiti, where the brutal legacy is slavery and how the world has begun to collectively revisit the past to try and heal the wounds that are still globally felt. In the film Beanpole by Kantemir Balagov, two young women, in the aftermath of World War II, search for meaning and hope as they struggle to rebuild their lives among the ruins. The documentary In Your Eyes, I See my Country where Neta Elkayam and Amit Haï Cohen live in Jerusalem where they created a band that revisits and reshapes their common Jewish-Moroccan musical heritage. They grapple with this identity duality; an attempt to heal the wounds of exile carried by their parents. A captivating narrative musically driven, they reshape their perception of who they are and want to become, along with aspirations to consolidate bridges with the homeland of their ancestors. A Rifle and a Bag, a documentary by Isabella Rinaldi, Cristina Haneș and first-time feature-length director, Arya Rothe is an insightful love story that survives a decade of armed struggle and violence. A search for a new identity in the aftermath of a violent past. Bereka, a short film directed by Nesanet Teshager Abegaze exquisitely explores similar themes of memory, migration and rebirth. 

The DIFF Awards Head of programming, Chipo Zhou is proud to announce the films in competition, that are diverse but have a common threat of revisiting the past as a way to instill hope for the future. “The physical and internal wars and struggles in the films that explore what seemed impossible decades ago is now but a distant memory that we dissect in art as a way to reflect and create a better world. 2020 has proved to have been a very trying year, one of which despair and hopelessness enveloped the world. We are in this moment living the history of tomorrow. These narratives are mirrors of the art that the generations after us will create looking back at this very moment. The festival looks to the future, optimistic that this is not the apocalypse by exploring the histories that in those moments, could have felt like the very end.” Says Zhou. On the advancement of the film industry, she adds “The industry has changed, how film is created and consumed has evolved dramatically. The way we showcase has been propelled into the future, by the Covid19 pandemic, and the festival will, for the very first time be presented online. Virtual platforms store everything in perpetuity as an archive of the showcase and subsequent dialogue around the issues highlighted in the narratives. This archive will be a great contribution to the future of film scholarship on the continent and beyond.”  

Documentaries in the 2020 Competition:

143 Sahara Street directed by Hassen Ferhani, Algeria, 2019

A Rifle And A Bag directed by Isabella Rinaldi, Arya Rothe and Cristina Haneș, India/Romania/Italy/Qatar, 2020

Softie directed by Sam Soko, Kenya 2020

FADMA: Even Ants Have Wings directed by Jawad Rhalib, Belgium/Morocco, 2019

In your Eyes, I See my Country directed by Kamal Hachkar, Morocco/France, 2019

Influence directed by Diana Neille, Richard Poplak, South Africa/Canada, 2020

The Letter directed by Maia Von Lekow and Christopher King, Kenya, 2020 

Features in the 2020 Competition:

Beanpole directed by Kantemir Balakov, Russia, 2019

Dust directed by Pieter du Plessis, South Africa, 2020

Farewell Amor directed by Ekwa Msangi, USA, 2020

Force Of Habit directed by Kirsikka Saari/Elli Toivoniemi/Anna Paavilainen/Alli Haapasalo/Reetta Aalto/Jenni Toivoniemi/Miia Tervo, Finland, 2020 Lusala directed by Mugambi Nthiga, Kenya/Germany, 2019 Our Lady of the Nile directed by Atiq Rahimi, France/Belgium/Rwanda, 2019 Stam (The Tree) directed by Louw Venter, South Africa, 2019 Take Me Somewhere Nice directed by Ena Sendijarevic, Netherlands/Bosnia/Herzegovina, 2019 This is Not a Burial, it’s a Resurrection directed by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Lesotho/South Africa/Italy, 2020 

All short films are in competition.

“The DIFF prides itself on discovering and nurturing new talent, and each year we select films from a diverse number of first-time feature-length directors. The 41 st edition is no exception with almost 30% directorial debut feature-length productions on showcase, which we are very excited about” says Head of programming Chipo Zhou. Some of these directors include Arya Rothe, the director of A Rifle and a Bag, Sam Soko director of Softie, Aslaug Aarsæther’s director of The Art of Fallism, Amine Hattou director of Janitou, Carla Fonseca director of Burkinabe, Ena Sendijarević director of Take Me Somewhere Nice, Louw Venter director of Stam (The Tree) and Kislay Kislay director of Just Like That.

isiPhethu At the heart of the University of KwaZulu Natal is a mission to redress the imbalances of the past, and its contribution to this mission through the Centre for Creative Arts is emphasised through a robust community engagement programme titled isiPhethu. This year, in addition to drive-in screenings in the greater KwaZulu-Natal, the programme will host various online workshops and seminars. isiPhethu aims to entertain, educate, train and up-skill, instill confidence to young aspirant filmmakers and share information that is relevant to the film industry to empower young people.

“The idea is to link the film community virtually in these trying times where the Covid-19 pandemic threatens not just our lives but the arts in general”, says Isiphethu curator Sakhile Gumede.

A range of top facilitators and guest speakers are featured, under which multi-award-winning filmmaker Shirley Bruno and producer and actor Michal Birnbaun. DIFF is also proud to host the New York-based writer, producer and director of ‘Equal Standard’ which tackles the issue of police brutality in the US. Taheim will be joined by a few of his colleagues to give the DIFF audiences an in-depth insight into his work.  South African born documentary filmmaker Jessie Zinn now based in the US, will be joined by award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer Simon Wood to discuss new approaches to documentary filmmaking.

“Many young people will undergo training through these programmes. The video production and scriptwriting workshops both aimed at development of young makers. This year we have opted to engage in virtual workshops, and this allowed us to bring many players on board from across the globe. Some of the highlights include speakers from the San Francisco Black Film Festival, SWIFT, Visual Network SA, George Mason University, Coastal-conferences”, added Gumede.

isiPhethu Community film screenings, school programmes and engagements with various community organisations around the city of Durban and the province of KwaZulu Natal will be the pulse of this year’s Isiphethu industry-focused programme at DIFF. The isiPhethu programme remains a backbone of DIFF and act as a centre stage for the industry role players to showcase their work, talents, and network in the film industry. The vibrant programme aims to entertain, educate, train and up-skill, instill confidence to young aspirant film-makers and share information that is relevant to the film industry to empower young people. A range of top facilitators, guest speakers and participants will be featured. They will headline several of these programmes as the DIFF continues to position itself as one of the biggest and most significant festivals on the continent.

Curators 

As a festival, the DIFF prides itself on inclusivity and a celebration of diversity as is shown by the riveting selection of films, which has been curated by a small group of talented and diverse individuals, headed by DIFF head of programming, Chipo Zhou. Nataleah Hunter-Young, a Canadian writer, film curator, and PhD candidate in Communication and Culture, Lisa Ogdie, an American short film programmer who works with Sundance Film Festival and Mitchel Harper a South African freelance curator and cultural programmer specializing in the arts in areas of film, music, literature, visual and performing arts.

Programme and details The full programme, alongside all the films that will be screening, is accessible on www.durbanfilmfest.com. Ticket sales are open. Tickets for the virtual screenings are only available FREE in South Africa. Once a ticket is booked, you can watch the film for 2 days and once you have started watching you can playback for 24 hours. There will be drive-ins screenings in Durban, Port Shepstone, Richards Bay and Newcastle. Tickets for the drive-in screenings are available on Quicket for R100 per car, however at a limited capacity.

The 41st edition of the festival is organized by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, in partnerships and with the support of Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, KZN Department of Arts and Culture and other valued funders and partners.

[prasanttricolour]

Of the considerable number of conditions of India, Orissa has the biggest number of clans, upwards of 62. as far as the rate they establish an amazing 24 percent of the all-out the populace of the state. These clans, for the most part, possess the Tribes of Odisha and Eastern Ghats slope go, which runs in the north-south bearing.  The greater part of their populace is worried in three locales of Koraput (unified), Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj. Since the period of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the tribals involve a putative job and the Jagannath's faction of Orissa is joined with the inborn religion which has offered beginning to a worldview of digestion. The Sabaras of Orissa are the early admirers of Lord Jagannath and till today they have been performing the predominant job in the religion-social standards of Jagannath sanctuary. Tribals of Orissa are known as Adivasi, Vanabasi, and Girijana. They are depicted as aboriginals of Orissa in Anthropological writing. The Adivasi (native), Vanabasi (woods tenant) and Girijana (mountain occupant) comprise 22.13% the populace of Orissa. Out of 62 informed Scheduled Tribes, just 8 Scheduled Tribes are announced as Primitive Tribal Groups by the Government of India. Those clans are Juang, Bondo Poraja, Lodha, Didayi,Mankidia, Birhor, Kharia and Soura. The monetary existence of the Primitive Tribal Groups rotate around the woods and the PTGs of Orissa are not out of it.  Forest supports their life and the biotic and abiotic parts of backwoods environment satisfy their financial, bio-social, religion-social and psycho-social needs. They gather their essential comforts from the woods and their monetary life is entwined with the woodland eco-framework. Numerous clans, for occasions, the Juanga, Bhuiyan, Saora, Dharua and Bonda, practice what is called moving development or Podu Chasa, otherwise called cut and consume.  They select a plot of land and for the most part on a mountain incline, slice down all the trees and shrubberies and consume them to remains. Spreading the cinders uniformly over the land, they hang tight for the downpours before planting their yields.  Because of development for a few seasons on one plot of land the dirt gets exhausted, so the Tribes of Odisha proceed onward. It is a lifestyle for them. The center of inborn culture, the adolescent residence is the biggest hovel in the town. It has just three dividers, bountifully brightened with images speaking to creatures. The fourth side is open. Around evening time quarters is home to the young people of the town. Be that as it may, when a hard day's worth of effort, individuals assemble here to talk and unwind.  The committee of older folks meets here too to talk about issues identifying with the government assistance of the town. The open space in textual style of the residence is the place adolescents and ladies hit the dance floor with desert each night. The week after week markets or HAAT is likewise an actual existence line for Tribes where they player their week by week needs as well as an incredible gathering point to share a beverage . The Tribes of Odisha are additionally known for their celebrations which is for the most part associated with reaping or harvests according to season. They ask mother earth and sky like animist and has faith in penance. Wednesday Dunguria Kondh week after week advertise, Thurs day Bonda clan showcase close Macckund (Desia) , Friday Kundli Market, Saturday Baligaon showcase merits visiting. For the above reasons, Odisha praises each years Adivasi Mela in Bhubaneswar The regular Tribes communities in the Republic of India yet as in Odisha ar characterized by economic and social process, primitive existence, geographical isolation and academic stupidity. social group population is that the aboriginal inhabitants of the Republic of India United Nations agency are living a life supported the natural surroundings and have cultural patterns congenial to their physical and social surroundings.  they need to be been neglected in several sectors of the society and to shield that they started resistance movement over the years. the most important tribes of Odisha, in terms of their numerical strength, ar the Kondh, Gond, Santhal, Saora, Bhuiyan, Paraja, Koya, Oraon, Gadaba, Juanga, and Munda-Mon-Khmer.  There are many smaller social group communities living within the State. they're the Chenchus, Mankiridia Kharia, Baiga, Birhor and Ghara. social group communities like the Santhal, Gond, Munda, Ho, Birhor, Koya, Lodha, Kondha, Bhumija, Kharia, and Oraons cut across state boundaries and ar found within the near states of Jharkhand. social group resistance within the opposed colonial movement is accentuated as offensive by the Britishers, it's maybe stunning as that label still perpetuates within the post-colonial Republic of India.  this is often supposed to look at the history of social group resistance in Britisher's reign, and shifts to that specialize in their resistance within the modern Republic of India in relevance economic process, additionally regarding queries of identity and nation, diplomacy in criminalizing them, narratives of forgotten history of past and gift.1 Tribals have resisted the Britisher’s authority and native power confiscators just like the Zamindars, Thakhedars, Christian missionaries, and alternative exploiters. for several centuries, tribals were isolated, scattered in forests. every tribe has established its own socio-cultural diversity. They were distinguished from this nation.  They launched movements against their oppressors in their various regions. Their agitations against the outsiders may well be referred to as anti-colonial. They revolted against them owing to their exploitation within the sort of encroachment on their land, eviction from their land, annulment of the standard legal and social rights and customs, against sweetening of rent, for transfer of land to the tiller, ending of social organization and semi-feudal sort of possession.  On the complete, these movements had social and spiritual overtones. however, they were directed against the problems associated with their existence. Considered because of the oldest and most vibrant competition, the annual social group truthful in Bhubaneswar popularly referred to as because the ‘Adivasi mela’ is set to own a grand entry on the Republic Day.  This social group exhibition and competition is organized once a year settled within the heart of the capital town, Bhubaneswar. once a year the event is controlled at Adivasi Ground at Unit-1 is currently shifted to be unionized at the Idco Exhibition Ground at Unit-3. This competition of social group individuals comprises of all sixty-two tribes individuals as well as thirteen PTGs, communicates to the exhibition ground & displayed their ethnic selection. This ancient competition showcases the art, artifacts, culture, tradition, and music of the social group individuals of Odisha.  The Adivasi exhibition is that the only 1 of its kind within the country. The stalls at the Adivasi Mela displays and sells numerous handicrafts things created by the social group individuals. many cultural, musical, and dance programs are conducted as a neighborhood of the truthful. The festivals of the social group represent AN integral a part of their social life and relate to their sturdy beliefs of community intimacy.  Their traditions will best be captured at these fairs and festivals. this is often another advantage to the business of the state because the tourists get a chance to witness the wonder and cultural roots of the community. social group community attractions aren't that famed among the individuals and so these festivals bring out the hidden spark and talent of the tribals. For More Details, please visit - https://www.odishahospitality.com/

http://unmaskodisha.blogspot.com/2020/05/adivasi-mela-odisha.html

[larryland]

“TROIKA À LA RUSSE” PRESENTED BY CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019, 6PM, MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

(Great Barrington, MA…) Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks (“adventurous and passionate”— The New Yorker) and Yehuda Hanani present a program rich in Russian lore, Slavic emotionalism, Soviet-era sarcasm, and dazzling virtuosity: the cello/piano sonatas by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5, which pianist Sviatoslav Richter considered the most difficult piece in the entire piano repertory. Rachmaninoff’s sonata is passionate and emotionally torrential, a survivor from the 19th century. Prokofiev, on the other hand, dubbed “bad boy of Russian music” by the establishment for his earlier avant-garde style, has written here a work that is mellow and reflective. Faliks will evoke Scriabin the mystic who believed he was the musical Messiah. It is music of ecstasy and visions. Faliks, who has appeared with Keith Lockhart, Leonard Slatkin and many of the world’s greatest orchestras, has been praised as a “high priestess of the piano, pianist of the highest order, as dramatic and subtle as a great stage actor.” The concert is a journey in Russian landscapes and into the Russian soul.

Inna Faliks

Yehuda Hanani

Inna Faliks, piano; Yehuda Hanani, cello

In the Close Encounters With Music tradition, each performance is followed by an AFTERGLOW reception, with hors d’oeuvres and wine provided by local restaurants.

Audiences can savor the music and fun as well as the culinary connections with us at our thematic concerts and post-concert receptions this season!

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets, $50 (Orchestra and Mezzanine), $27 (Balcony) and $15 for students, are available at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office, 413-528-0100, mahaiwe.org. Pro-rated subscriptions to the seven concert Close Encounters series are available to purchase on our website, cewm.org or by calling 800-843-0778.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani’s charismatic playing and profound interpretations bring him acclaim and re-engagements across the globe. An extraordinary recitalist, he is equally renowned for performances with orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, BBC Welsh Symphony, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, Honolulu Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, I Solisti Zagreb, and Taipei and Seoul symphonies, among others. He has been a guest at Aspen, Bowdoin, Chautauqua, Marlboro, Yale at Norfolk, Round Top (TX), Great Lakes, and Grand Canyon festivals, Finland Festival, Great Wall (China), Leicester (England), Ottawa, Prades (France), Oslo, and Australia Chamber Music festivals, and has collaborated in performances with preeminent fellow musicians, including Leon Fleisher, Aaron Copland, Christoph Eschenbach, David Robertson, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Itzhak Perlman, Vadim Repin, Dawn Upshaw, Shlomo Mintz, Yefim Bronfman, the Tokyo, Vermeer, Muir, Lark, Avalon and Manhattan quartets, as well as members of the Cleveland, Juilliard, Borromeo, and Emerson. In New York City, Yehuda Hanani has appeared as soloist at Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Alice Tully, and the Metropolitan Museum’s Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. In addition to his pioneering recordings of Charles Valentin Alkan (for which he received a Grand Prix du Disque nomination), Nikolai Miaskovsky, Leo Ornstein, and Eduard Franck, he is one of the originators of thematic programming with commentary that engages and illuminates contemporary audiences.

  “Adventurous and passionate” (The New Yorker) Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks has established herself as one of the most exciting, communicative and poetic artists of her generation through her commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well as genre-bending, interdisciplinary projects. Following acclaimed teenage debuts at the Gilmore Festival and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she has performed on many of the world’s great stages, with numerous orchestras, in solo appearances, and with conductors such as Leonard Slatkin and Keith Lockhart. Her 2014 all-Beethoven CD release on MSR Classics drew rave reviews: the disc’s pre-viewer on WTT W Chicago called her “High priestess of the piano…as dramatic and subtle as a great stage actor.” Her MSR Classics CD Sound of Verse featured largely unknown music of Boris Pasternak and works of Rachmaninoff and Ravel. Ms. Faliks’ distinguished career has taken her to thousands of recitals and concerti engagements throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe, performing at Carnegie’s Weill Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paris’ Salle Cortot, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall and in the festivals of Verbier, Portland International, Music in the Mountains, Brevard, Taos and Chautauqua. Highlights of recent seasons include a 2016 tour of China, with appearances at the Beijing Center for Performing Arts, Shanghai Oriental Arts Theater and Tianjin Grand Theatre; in the Fazioli Series in Italy and Israel’s Tel Aviv Museum. Faliks is founder and curator of the of the Manhattan Arts Council award-winning poetry-music series “Music/Words,” creating performances in collaboration with distinguished poets. She recently co-starred with Downton Abbey star Lesley Nicol in “Admission—One Shilling,” a play for pianist and actor about the life of Dame Myra Hess, the great British pianist. She went on to create a one-woman show, performing at Baruch Performance Center’s “Solo in the City—Jewish Women, Jewish Stars” Festival in NYC, and at the Ebell of Los Angeles, where she gave the premiere of “Polonaise-Fantaisie, Story of a Pianist,” an autobiographical monologue for pianist and actress. A recent collaboration with WordTheatre features today’s leading screen actors in literary readings. Constantly in dialogue with today’s composers, she is the creator of the “Reimagine: Ravel and Beethoven” project, where composers such as Richard Danielpour, Timo Andres and Paola Prestini are writing works for her in response to Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit and Beethoven’s Bagatelles opus 126. Faliks is currently Professor of Piano and Head of Piano at UCLA.

ABOUT CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC

Close Encounters With Music stands at the intersection of music, art and the vast richness of Western culture. Entertaining, erudite and lively commentary from founder and Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani puts the composers and their times in perspective to enrich and enlighten the concert experience. Since the inception of its Commissioning Project in 2001, CEWM has worked with the most distinguished composers of our time—Joan Tower, Judith Zaimont, Lera Auerbach, Robert Beaser, Kenji Bunch, Osvaldo Golijov, John Musto, and Paul Schoenfield among others—to create important new works that have already taken their place in the chamber music canon and on CD. A core of brilliant performers includes: pianists, Roman Rabinovich, Soyeon Kate Lee, Walter Ponce and Jeffrey Swann; violinists,Shmuel Ashkenasi, Vadim Gluzman, Julian Rachlin, Peter Zazofsky, Itamar Zorman and Erin Keefe; clarinetists Alexander Fiterstein and Charles Neidich; vocalists Dawn Upshaw, Jennifer Rivera, Danielle Talamantes and Kelley O’Connor; the Muir, Manhattan, Ariel, Vermeer, Escher, Avalon, Hugo Wolf, Dover string quartets; and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and guitarist Eliot Fisk. Choreographer David Parsons and actors Richard Chamberlain, Jane Alexander and Sigourney Weaver have also appeared as guests, weaving narration and dance into the fabric of the programs. Close Encounters With Music programs have been presented in cities across the U.S. and Canada—Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Omaha, Cincinnati, Calgary, Detroit, at the Frick Collection and Merkin Hall in New York City, at The Clark in Williamstown, at Tanglewood and in Great Barrington, MA, as well as in Scottsdale, AZ. Summer performances have taken place at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. This year, the High Peaks Festival moved to the Berkshires to the Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA, where it has continued as the educational mission of Close Encounters With Music with fifty international students in residence for an immersive course of study and performance.

  Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani has led the series since its founding, providing entertaining, erudite commentary that puts the composers and their times in perspective to enrich and amplify the concert experience. Each concert is framed by an introduction before the music, and is followed by an AFTERGLOW reception with an opportunity to meet the musicians. Venues include the landmark Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and the newly renovated Saint James Place in Great Barrington. To complement the musical offerings, two guest speakers, Haydn scholar Caryl Clark, and composer Tamar Muskal are featured in the Conversations With…. series at the West Stockbridge Historical Society and Casana T-House in Hillsdale, NY.

2018-2019 CALENDAR

Saturday, February 23, 6 PM, Saint James Place

HAYDN SEEK–DISCOVERING THE HUMOR AND WIT IN PAPA HAYDN

Saturday, March 23, 6 PM, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

RUSSIAN TROIKA���PROKOFIEV, RACHMANINOFF AND STRAVINSKY

Saturday, April 13, 6 PM, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

THE AMERICAN BRASS QUINTET

Saturday, May 18, 6 PM, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

THE ESCHER QUARTET–BARBER, MOZART, SCHUBERT QUINTET

Saturday, June 8, 6 PM, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

GALA: LIKE FATHER-IN-LAW, LIKE SON-IN-LAW–

ANTONIN DVORAK AND JOSEF SUK

Conversations With…

Sunday, April 28, 3 PM, Casana T-House

TAMAR MUSKAL—COMPOSER, SONGWRITER, FASHIONISTA

Close Encounters with Music Presents “Troika a la Russe” at the Mahaiwe “TROIKA À LA RUSSE” PRESENTED BY CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019, 6PM, …

[angrycollectordaze-me-blog]

Essay代写：The shelly

下面为大家整理一篇优秀的essay代写范文- The shelly，供大家参考学习，这篇论文讨论了电影《谢利》。影片《谢利》的成功不仅以社会妓女的敏感话题有无真情为其电影的抒情基点，还以印象主义绘画那些美的特质为其依托，将观众的审美视野放在法国浪情的调子上来展示。在光影朦胧、色泽炫目的画面中，人的情志和思想完全被震慑，被征服。该电影属于法国经典的印象派手法，追求形式的美比表现内容显得更为主要。

​Telling the story in the context of painting is one of the most successful elements of the British film Shirley. Stephen frese, the British director, is famous again for his masterful use of language and impressionistic flickering images, following the queen, which he directed. The success of the film "Shirley" not only depends on whether the sensitive topic of social prostitutes has true feelings or not as the basis of its lyrical film, but also relies on the aesthetic characteristics of impressionistic painting to display the audience's aesthetic vision in the tune of French wave. In the hazy, blinding picture of color, people's feelings and thoughts are completely shocked and conquered.

The artistic charm of film art generally follows two principles. First, the story is full of ups and downs, which is very touching. First, the picture is exquisite, wonderful. Following the winning rules of this film, the British films such as Tess, Jane eyre, wuthering heights and Elizabeth all achieved success. In the past art blockbusters in the UK, the two main lines of parallel scenes and plots have never changed, but the film composition is slightly classical and solemn, lacking vivid color blocks and flowing perspective of the picture. Stephen frese's 2009 film "Shirley" breaks away from the long-standing tone, and places the characters and the plot of the story in a kind of staggered color, dim light and shadow, colorful picture and muddy impression, which gives people excellent aesthetic effect. The film vocabulary expressed in the film "Shirley" is romantic and has the aesthetic characteristics of impressionistic art. In this film, beautiful scenes and pictures are elegantly connected with characters. The film's composition was taken to an unprecedented level by the director. Film belongs to the French classic impressionism, the pursuit of beauty in the form is more important than the performance of the content. According to current film critic Louis janetti, "formalist films are basically the works of directors, and the personal marks of the author are usually very obvious.

Film of French impressionism in the explorer is not only Stephen Fraser, one person at home, French director gonzalo, wheels, DiLvKe "fever" drucker's "Spanish festival" and so on, are all in the name of impressionism, and at that time, the French original film classic beauty system by unprecedented challenges, in a dizzy chaotic light for its development under the new camp sadly arisen.

To understand the picture language of director Stephen frese, we need to apply light ink to the principles of French impressionist painting. Impressionism is a kind of international art language, which creates a little-known painting vocabulary on the basis of pursuing "outdoor sketching" and opposing the inherent color in the painting circle. Rally in under the flag of impressionist art not only has a beginning, manet, monet, van gogh, gauguin and others, and music of Debussy, ravel, photography in the "soft tone photography technique, Paul Paul verlaine hazy literature in literature context, Japan's" art of float world draw ", etc., they are both controlled by the impressionism of aesthetic theory. The rise of impressionism in the movie in the 1920 s, the French film and stronger momentum and German film American film, exhaustion, to Abraham, okada, zhe min, drucker, and a new generation of its representative of innovation sent, trying not to beat, set foot on the French impressionist painting in rotating between light and shadow, looking for a new film language. Thus, monet et al. 's efforts to capture the vague and fleeting artistic feeling in painting became a new breakthrough in the French film industry. At the same time, Debussy on the music in the harmonic vocabulary he created, that kind of sway sway feeling also came into being. Impressionist aesthetic standards is not clear at first, the depressed block against Louis xvi of France since the official group of painting style, began in 1874, recognized monet exhibition "impression, sunrise", some strange strange light, colour and lustre turbidity paintings are the Louvre kicked off the door, the young people unwilling fall after they work in the Paris avenue to say, passers-by, to set more and more public security police finally use hoses to disperse the crowd. In any case, at the beginning of impressionism, there was little deviation from the inherent French painting style, and the enterprising spirit of breaking away from it brought these French young people to a new height, a beauty that had not been achieved before. Film "xie li" what aim at, it is impressionism such aesthetic line. Film after Lea to visit her former prostitute industry competition, the old rival Charlotte, sat a British car, through the ancient country road, fast car with fields and crops vegetation formation are dim shadow on the road, look look, a color flashing - golden, green, dark purple, light pink colour superimposed together, such as bouncing color, formed under the sun under the irradiation of light, people will see eye to set up their own colour into the audience. The director Stephen frese is familiar with the theoretical principle of impressionistic painting. He places the perspective of the audience in the nature, thus producing a shot similar to the aesthetic feeling of impressionistic painting.

Based on a novel by French writer Colette, the film "Shirley" is a simple story about a young rich man who falls in love with his mother's friend, a prostitute in her late twenties in Paris. Shelley's mother forced her son to give up the six-year relationship. After marrying another woman, shelly still couldn't forget the man who taught her how to "love", and finally chose to flee to a fantasy world and end her young life with a gun. Movie opening are arranged in the back garden of the family reunion Xie Ligu, characters completely wrapped by lush vegetation, there are French phoenix tree, the aloe, Japan cloves, asparagus, China director of trying to build a kind of tonal symphony, like manet was that colour "grass" riches and honour, blackish green, deep green, and flowers white color contrast with people, let the viewer in shadow when people talk about those boring homely, visual won't feel tired. Paying attention to visual aesthetic experience is one of the most prominent features of contemporary European films. For example, becoming Jane Austen, beautiful angel, road to the red world and brokeback mountain are all pleasing to people with their images, which is also one of the key points for many Oscar winners. Mark rothko, an American art philosopher, said in an exploration of art beauty, "the decorative nature of art is spiritual and philosophical, and it insists on and displays its basic principles. We want a happy signpost, not an ugly presence. However, at present, many directors do not care about the feelings of the audience, they put the dialogue of the characters casually in a simple place, the aesthetic pleasure of the picture of the thoughts in the film often gives way to the tedious word games, the audience does not buy it, failure is inevitable. Shelley, the hero in the movie, is a rare handsome man with deep-set eyes, dark eyebrows and a high nose. His whole face looks like the sculpture beauty of an ancient Greek god. In addition, his clothes also is to have cultured, maroon suit foil by white underwear, slender figure and then put on a black trousers, a hand holding a cup of red wine, talking to lean body, the eyes contain deep lasting appeal when watching leia, wan ku is a woman will be his deputy and charmed by a little provocative look. From the character selection of the leading actor to the clothing selection, all show the film director's superb aesthetic perception and interest, which is combined with the director Stephen frese to express the impressionist painter's aesthetic thinking of one standard. Beauty, as the main narrative of the film "Shirley", has a collision with the aesthetic appreciation of the audience. Along the film refers to the art road signs, we came to the birth of impressionism in the French high society, feeling the extraordinary years of rouge powder. Since the fall of German thought, Paris has been a rallying point for the world's cultural heavyweights. In the mid-19th century, Chopin of Poland came to France by boat from the nieper river to join liszt of Hungary. He met Hugo and George sang in the French salon. Chopin is music on the talent, has been regarded as the apple of the eye of the French high society of female celebrities. His association with George sang, who was six years his senior, was bound to raise eyebrows. Forced by embarrassment, two people avoid the vision of the Paris media, fled to the outskirts of a called mallorca island to survive in the wild, the wave of this kind of love has been France's upper class hot speculation. Critics have suggested that the aunt and nephew's romance in "Shirley" was also learned from Joe and shaw. Paris is not only a place of emotional vortex, but also a cradle of world-class artistic talent. Hugo, merimee, Balzac, dumas, dumas, delacroix, van gogh, gauguin, Sartre, maupassant, voltaire, Berlioz, Debussy these art and ideological heavyweights are from Paris. Many viewers will ask, why does this land have so many music masters, painting leaders, giants of thought, literary giants? It's all about love and romance in Paris, about the fact that this land can produce artistic genius and also allow dirt. "Xie li" is also a shot to the society's most dirty abortion prostitutes, let her moral collapse and his poor generation boy xie li mix, after a period of passion, the human nature of the conscience was awakened, resolutely and resolutely break up with him, just cause xie li shot suicide human tragedy. Impressionism was born out of the vast and misty dust. How can it stop in today's complicated and mixed society?

Film is the language of vision. Only when the eyes are stretched can we better express the meaning of film. Therefore, the design of characters and scenes in the film is crucial. "The visual emphasis on the scene is an important reflection of the director's style." The aesthetic feeling shown by "Shirley" starts from the beautiful picture, and then shapes the beautiful figure of the characters and gradually enters the story itself. Without the ingenious arrangement of director Stephen frese and his tacit cooperation with the photographer, this much-mashed literary script would have caused the world to scoff at the fact that "Shelley" once again tackles such sensitive social issues as prostitution. In the movie, shelly is leia temptation to go to bed, the camera turned to him and the practice that a boxer, leia standing on the bridge use wreath range, looked at her lover with boxer standoff, lens using overlooking the Angle shot up, flowers of Bridges, water flowers, CARDS and colonnades, with flower, beautiful leia all the sight of the audience. Especially in the sun shining glow, the lens produced shadow, the water appeared golden cross wave light, an impressionist visual aesthetic picture arises spontaneously. Impressionism is known in France as the "moment of emotional expression", the capture of fleeting impressions. Truth, as long as a little knowledge of painting appreciation all know, manet, monet, van gogh how to create a beautiful painting, in the path of beauty, the artists climbed the highest mountain art, see the most beautiful scenery. Zheng feng, a contemporary romance novelist, wrote in the book "angels love Paris" that "genius is accomplished at one stroke, striking the world with one action, and brilliant, just like van gogh and Chopin. Stephen Frears rose to the top of British cinema in the 1980s with his keen visual awareness and engaging storytelling. Ignoring the criticism of the current public opinion, the director directly aims his film lens at the prostitute, who is not clean. With the beauty of the beautiful picture and the profound philosophy that is worth thinking, the original sincerity and kindness of human nature are opened. When Shelley was arranged by her mother to marry young Edmee, leia finally realized that the time had come to break up with Shelley. After she gets married and starts a new life with Shelley, she deliberately gives him the cold shoulder and even flees to the seaside alone. The director intentionally arranges for her to have a brief encounter with the muscular and androgen equally developed private boxer, and then goes to bed, gets together with him and makes no sense. However, when leia finally realized that she could not live without shelly, she immediately returned to her hometown and met shelly. However, she looks different with shelly again feeling as before, her body hidden love of a mother's love look noble virtue, said her repressed inner true feelings: "forgive me, I will love you until I die, you are in my heart has been to for a long time, I forgot you still have to shoulder the task of the their own home, the young wife, there may be a child. So, you're going to suffer, you're going to think of me, and use reason and tolerance, and try not to hurt other people... "A touching words has let the audience bring tears, this period of sincere, to the heart of words, will soon be remembered, that forget her in his garden for massage therapist said:" it's strange that I couldn't describe the feeling, just like with African and Chinese people to go to bed, not to say that I have that experience." To win the understanding of African and Asian cultures, American and British directors often add some dialogue without answering questions in their films, which results in cozying up to harm. Perhaps I'm not quite sure why director Stephen frese included this line here. The film "" shelly" "is moving at the end. Shelly left after hearing lya's final farewell, a walk that never returned to lya, nor did he return to this planet. The news of Shelley's suicide was told by the film's narration to the audience. In a sad and beautiful music, the film saw the figure of Shelley disappearing gradually, leaving the world with space for reverie and thinking.

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[mkbchristen978-blog]

Amazon.com Storage Facility Workers In Europe Stage Demonstration On Main Time.

As any country of the globe, the Ukraine and also its women have their certain characteristics when it comes to character, mindset, psychological science, society worths, and so on A lady named a Clara Zetkin (Innovator of the 'Women's Workplace' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the concept of an International Women's Time. Well, if you are actually looking for flirting tunes, country and western is the best genre to discover teasing child fulfills gal songs. The Brazilian Ministry of Sport originally estimated the Olympics would take more than $30 billion in international expenditure and also economical influence in to the country, yet economic experts have actually disputed the notion that the activities provide significant financial advantages to multitude areas and B3Stdiet4U.Info nations. It is claimed that the past of United States cash demonstrates the history of America itself. They also deliver in your area made alcohols and also coffees, and also the festivity is an opportunity for planters as well as other suppliers to sell their products to individuals that gather because of this. . Merely Egypt, and also Sadat was eliminated for it. The Arabs fought three times with Israel. Medical care is actually international-standard within this portion of the globe, and health care tourist is actually an expanding sector. Eliot is better recognized for his rhyme, "The Love Tune of J. Alfred Prufrock," which is actually a have to read rhyme concerning a middle-aged guy who strains to decide whether he must consult with the attractive women all over the room. Throughout all These years, the Bible contained 95% of the 'Westcoast' manufacturing of these amazing times which are actually the perfectly 'Californian Lifestyle'. ( The Ultrasignup ranks have encountered this problem) Lastly, some individuals utilize low-key races as training runs, or even get-togethers. Quotationing the claim from Openness International of exactly how the unethical management of Gaddafi has actually induced a situation in the nation The oil-rich country performs the verge of ending up being an unsuccessful state with a defenseless main federal government. The GreenMetric Rankings, generated through Universitas Indonesia (UI), have that college in 23rd area, which is actually quite far better than any other. As our experts move to the Texas State Cross Country Championships this weekend, I discover myself wishing to provide as a result of one of the all-time greats in TX Cross Country history, Bobby Aguirre of El Paso Waterfront.

Regardless of that in 2010, the Planet Banking company named Zambia (in the past known as Northern Rhodesia) among the world's fastest financially changed nations, the Opposition United Event for National Development (UPND) has made it quite crystal clear that they want also more tribalism of the nation (essentially partition) as well as defends their stance as a racist institution, also going so far concerning call existing Imperfection Head of state Man Scott a "foolish white male" due to his scenery of liberating the bigotry as well as segregation that uproot this country.

As an example, Art is enabled as much indecent permit today as in earlier opportunities- yet the advantages of Literature within this appreciation have actually been actually dramatically stopped within the past eighty or even ninety years. This was actually very first song to create a cross-the-boards reached as # 2 on R&B and also Pop as well as # 1 on Nation all together.

After that the Giant, grinning along with rage, strode tower-like in the direction of the stranger (ten opportunities strengthened at every step), and retrieved a massive blow at him along with his evergreen, which Hercules caught upon his group; and also being actually even more skilful than Antaeus, he spent him back such a rap upon the candlestick, that down tumbled the great lumbering man-mountain, standard upon the ground.

[miruna-craciunbcu]

Professional Text // Corrected

Collection 1 “Painted Skin Ghost Story”

Name                 Yingqi Xu

Insta                   moushisi14 

  Background

“The Painted Skin” is a short ghost story by the Chinese writer Pu Songling, collected in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio”  in 1740. The plot is about a ferocious ghost dressed in a painted skin who pretends to be beautiful. The amative scholar, called Wang, took her home and, later, she killed him and ate his heart. After that, the priest killed the ghost and asked Wang’s wife to beg for a heart and, finally, Wang was back to life.

 Pu Songling (Chinese: 蒲松齡, 5 June 1640 – 25 February 1715) was a Qing Dynasty Chinese writer, best known as the author of “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio” (Liaozhai Zhiyi).

 Pu was born into a poor merchant family from Zichuan (淄川, in Zibo, Shandong). At the age of 18, he received the ‘Xiucai’ degree in the ‘Civil Service Examination’; it was not until he was 71 that he was awarded the ’Gongsheng ‘degree for his achievement in literature rather than for passing the Imperial examinations.

He spent most of his life working as a private tutor, collecting the stories that were later published in “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio”  in 1740. Some critics attribute the Vernacular Chinese novel “Xingshi Yinyuan Zhuan”  to him.

 Liaozhai Zhiyi (Liaozhai; Chinese: 聊齋誌異; Wade–Giles: Liao²chai¹ chi⁴yi⁴), translated variously as “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio “or “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio” is a collection of Classical Chinese stories by Pu Songling comprising close to five hundred "marvel tales” in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles which serve to implicitly criticise societal issues then. Dating back to the Qing dynasty, its earliest publication date is given as 1740. Since then, many of the critically lauded stories have been adapted for other media such as film and television.

The main characters of this book apparently are ghosts, foxes, immortals, and demons, but the author focused on the everyday life of commoners. He used the supernatural and the unexplainable to illustrate his ideas of society and government. He criticized the corruption and injustice in society and sympathized with the poor. Four main themes are present in Strange Stories.

The first is a complaint about the skewed feudal system. The author argued that many officers and rich people committed crimes without being punished, because they enjoyed the privilege and power granted to them by the government, purely by their status and/or their wealth. This theme can be found in short stories such as “The Cricket”, “Xi Fangping”, and “Shang Sanguan”. It is fairly clear that the author presents the feudal government, skewed and unfair as it was.

Secondly, the author revealed the corrupt examination system at the time. Pu had taken imperial exams and discovered that the exams were unfairly graded. He postulated that many students cheated and bribed examiners or the grading officers. The education system, thus, became pointless in Pu's eyes, as it had destroyed the scholars’ minds and ruined their creativity, as illustrated in such stories as “Kao San Sheng”, “Ya Tou” (The Maid), and “Scholar Wang Zi-an”.

Pu's third theme was a clear admiration of pure, faithful love between poor scholars and powerless women, writing many stories about the love between beautiful and kind female ghosts and poor students to illustrate the allegory. The author highly praised women who took care of their husbands’ lives and helped them achieve success, as can be found in chapters such as “Lian Xiang”, “Yingning” and “Nie Xiaoqian”.

Lastly, Pu criticized the people’s immoral behavior and sought to educate them through Strange Stories. He embedded Confucian-styled moral standards and Taoist principles into parables; some examples are “Painted Skin” and “The Taoist of Lao Mountain”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Songling (accessed 7.9.18)

    Collection 2 “Lost Boys”

 Elisha Hill-Wood

 Instagram

Design account: elishacorinnemenswear

Personal account: elishacorinne

 Portfolio

www.elishacorinne.com

  Background

Elisha Corinne is a Menswear Designer from the South West of England who completed a BA with Honours in Fashion Design at Birmingham City University in 2018.

 Elisha's debut collection is a clear representation of her personality as a designer, focusing on detailing, colour and print combinations and the use and mix of fabrications and other materials. Deciding to explore her interest of travel through famous expeditions and explorers, which eventually lead her to historic and modern-day fishermen.

 Oversized and paper bag silhouettes combined with longline fishermen jackets and straight leg trousers created a well rounded and considered collection. Combining opposing details in knitted textiles such as polished hand knitted cables with ragged fringing created new exciting designs. Mixing ready-to-wear garments with showpieces created a visually strong yet wearable collection.

 During the Birmingham City University preview show at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in February 2018, Elisha was selected by a panel of industry professional judges to take part in and represent Birmingham City University at Graduate Fashion Week 2018. Elisha has received some press following the annual four-day event at London's Old Truman Brewery, including being featured in two online magazines, Sagaboi '10 Designers To Watch From Graduate Fashion Week' and Bricks Magazine 'Our Favourite Looks From Graduate Fashion Week'. As well as sent samples from her graduate collection to Belgium and Switzerland for artist Coely to wear during her performances at festivals across the summer.

  Collection

 Elisha Corinne's debut collection titled 'The Lost Boys' came from her interests into travel and exploration of new places. Shackleton's famous Antarctic voyage first inspired this story with influence from the equipment, clothing and surrounding environments. This influenced Elisha to look into historic and modern-day fishermen. Wanting to make her collection more personal, Elisha interviewed a couple of men who were fishermen in her local area of Bristol. Which led her to The Black Rock heritage site in Wales.

 During the design development process, Elisha wanted to distort the normal shapes and silhouettes of garments. Enlarging and folding trousers and classic shirts, then pairing these with fisherman inspired silhouettes creating a well-considered collection. Elisha developed her collection by combining different fabrics such as twills and oilskins with original bold check designs. Wanting to add more texture to her line up, Elisha incorporated hand knitted cable textiles with ragged fringing. Influenced by traditional Guernsey jumpers and fishing knots, creating a modern take on perfected cable knits. For this collection, Elisha created classic sou'wester hats in her own prints and water resistant oilskins to elevate particular looks in her collection.

 From visiting The Black Rock heritage site in Wales and collecting original materials and research, this informed and inspired the majority of Elisha's bold colour palette, texture, prints, and silhouettes. 'The Lost Boys' being a clear representation of Elisha's personality as a designer, mixing ready-to-wear garments with showpieces creating a visually strong yet wearable collection.

  Fabric information and pricing

Dry Oilskins £22 pm from Merchant and Mills

Heat Press Printed Matte Oilcloth from Contrado 5 meters £257.25

Digitally Printed Cotton Twill - price varied depending on amount brought from Contrado

Textured Cotton Elastane £18 pm from The Cloth House London

Sirdar Cotton Rich Aran yarn £3.50 per 100g ball from Knitwell

6mm Macramé Bleached White Rope £15.95 per reel from Whimsy Designs on Amazon

 Styling - Lucy Hawksworth

Photographer - Alexander Batdepat

Model - Ludovic Jean-Francois

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note from the tutor:

This is for use as a final text. If you opt for this as your final text you are working to a professional level.

You will be able to complete techniques such as:

·        Kerning

·        Reducing hyphenation

·        Deleting orphans and widows.

·        Typographic hierarchy

·        Spell check and grammar

·        Glyphs

·        Paragraph breaks

·        Rules (keylines)

 ADDITIONAL

·        Credits for photography/models/designers

·        Pull quotes

·        Organise the flow of the work

·        Delete or add to copy

·        Increase the photography content using stock images (or your own)

·        Break the rules now you know them!

·        Add in logos such as Instagram

·        Be creative with folios (page numbers)

·        Consider page breaks

·        Consider more advanced experimental layouts

·        Add in your own sketches to the designs

·        Check the designers online profile – add more content in (image wise)

·        Pricing next to garments for collection 2

·        Are all images the correct resolution and mode?

(RES: 72dpi or 300dpi?) (MODE: Should they be RGB or CMYK)

Always credit the photographer/model/fashion designer/add your name in as the graphic designer.

TAS will be showing your work to the fashion designers involved…this could be the beginning of a bigger collaboration for the future. Your work will be exhibited at BCU

TAS sourced extra copy for Collection 1 as the fashion designer is in China and has limited time (you have to be resourceful!)

[donnellykessler63-blog]

Low Carb For Households.

There is actually one thing you may offer your body system to guarantee its revival when it happens to sporting activity trauma recuperation. For a long times my partner and kids whined about my negative meals selections and also excess weight. This is actually crucial to spend focus if you are actually exercising a sporting activity several times a full week and start to build breathing problem signs. That is actually certainly not to say that the view or even smell of great food does not create my oral cavity water, but I now acknowledge that of what it is: certainly not hunger, yet plain wish. For instruction, I'm carrying out mainly KB swings, 2-5 rep material actions (a la Effortless Superhuman" section in 4HB), and also sporting activity (e.g. mountain climbing). And also just what our experts have actually had the capacity to keep track of is actually that generally a ton of all of them possess an intrinsic understanding of the sporting activities atmosphere, they possess good judgment, leave, and also knowing that they have actually also obtained a great network of folks. Nonetheless, rugby league is the only sport which has actually concluded that its own coaches have to acquire ASC accreditation, he mentioned. Nevertheless, I took a prolonged respite from the sporting activity between the ages of 14 and 24, when I returned to the slopes in 2011, this was actually with a healthy and balanced worry from death. So you possess, as you move by means of the evening and the time, you possess different systems flowing one after the other, yet therefore for instance, you have your competition cooking program which is the matching of the Roulette wheel; you have your market kitchen space, your online day-to-day show, which is actually every thing, all the food items headlines, which is like your A Present Affair of your Today Tonight. Operating changes along with the police made this impossible to be optimally fit for punching, so I studied to become a private instructor, so I could train and also work, and I wanted to be actually the very best pugilist I can be, which implied moving occupation. If you possess time on your hands, blend these DO-IT-YOURSELF electricity bars and stow away the additions for later. Therefore, http://geheimnisse-abnehmen.info have actually recognized for a long times has determined to open up a meals vehicle and also sell dishes. The problem I see taking place to me is actually that I gone on Warfarin (Coumadin) as well as my best score of 2.5 went plummeting up to 1.4! It is actually an extremely serious diet plan (looking at that in Chile carbs are a typical food of our country) but in the future I presume this will operate, considering that I have observed in many paper that a diet low in carbs as well as higher in healthy protein, alongside medicines dependable, could lessen body weight and also hence heart danger elements as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Way too many in our society beverage sport cocktails all day long along with deleterious effects on standard and oral wellness. Only intended to banner because this (high strength, sprint style physical exercise) existed by Michael Mosley on Perspective at least 2 years back. Full week 4: Yogalates for Fat loss with Louise Solomon, Trip Match by Cathe Friedrich and also Yoga Disaster through Jillian Michaels. Or even school child like these fellas are actually aiding to help pass that meals on to folks in their neighborhood community. Tracking your regular food items as well as internet carb intake will definitely give you a straightforward photo concerning what you are consuming. I don't possess much good fortune along with meals coupons yet it certain assists with the rest of the cleaning and washing items, fodder. Today I was transporting package deals and preparing for my trunk program at Sports Nightclub LA in downtown San Francisco. This may be difficult to hang around till I'm hungry to attempt to find out exactly what I am actually famished for AND how you can receive it. http://geheimnisse-abnehmen.info/ling-fluent-bewertungen-preis-wie-funktioniert-es/ works effectively if I'm out shopping and there is actually a food court, however certainly not in the house where I have confined kitchen space, or even at work where I must take my lunch. Thus, usual being thirsty may be fulfilled through alcohol consumption water without sick impacts but sport cocktails might be shown after EXTREME deyhdration. The itinerary featured Venice and also as many communities in Tuscany we can suit, along with Sienna and also Florence as the centerpieces. Since I am actually STURDY simply like you, I recognize that I'm healthy even if I am actually not super skinny. Clarify some main reasons for the growing requirement for more healthy, fresher fast food, and also methods which food items suppliers are satisfying this need. If this continues, overuse can easily lead to 'exhaustion'; a disorder where not merely is there constant ache and damaged sporting activities efficiency, yet also dementia and poor scholastic performance. Reaching one weekend break in Illinois, the Fitness for United States Sports Festival takes attendees coming from 35 conditions and also five nations. Additionally eating well-balanced nutritious organic food after giving birth is what is recommended when breast eating?! MARK PHILLIPS, GLOBAL SPORTS HONESTY: The wagering norms will definitely show you when one thing shady is happening with that activity, due to the fact that the wagering markets will definitely move in a specific way when the match is being played out usually as well as they will definitely veer away from that norm when the match is actually certainly not being actually played in an ordinary ... way. Therefore encouraging to know" somebody that views food items as one thing to delight in, not equally as food or even as an adversary. An Equilibrium Smart Physical body Range through Wahoo Physical fitness is actually the excellent praise to any weight reduction program given that they can sync this along with their iPhone 5 and FOUR, ipod as well as ipad tablet, enabling all of them to track their weight and BMI over time. When you are within 25-50 feet of the Fitbit center terminal, your private data will immediately sync to the FitBit web site. If there is effective medical attention, many sports injuries will certainly lead in a full healing. NEIL PATERSON: Nepotism in sporting activity is among the fastest expanding organised criminal offense key ins the globe at the moment. When I fantasize concerning meals in the evening it is consistently regarding something I my body system is low on - sometimes I hope approximately large steaks, that suggests I need to have extra iron, and also occasionally I remain in a bakery and I cannot come to the doughnuts and also no-one will definitely serve me - means low blood glucose!! RACHAEL BROWN: This food items is actually trucked bent on well-being companies and also neighborhood teams, to assist supply greater than 644 1000 folks nationally. For those certainly not accustomed to Walker (we certainly weren't), he is actually a past NFL gamer that helped make a victorious go back to sporting activities as a Mixed Martial Arts (Mixed Martial Arts) boxer THIRTEEN years after retiring from soccer. This information concerning alcohol consumption water and the dispute over sporting activities drinks goes towards marketing well-balanced residing. Along with Jennifer being the really good sporting activity that she is actually, she really did not precisely hold back on the secret-sharing. The only pork I could digest and also ideally take in nutrients off is infant food items meat.

[writekraft]

VALUES IN KARBI FOLK LITERATURE: AN EVALUATION [www.writekraft.com]

Introduction

 1.00 Folklore: Folklore is a sociological science and the study of folklore throws considerable light on the modes of life and thoughts of the people. Folklore covers everything which is a part of the traditional life of the folk.1 Folklore of a community is understood from their arts and traditions, beliefs and customs, magic and practices, rituals and festivals etc. The social and spiritual selves of the folks are also the subject matter of folklore. Folklore or folk life of a community is studied in terms of folk literature, material culture, and social folk custom and performing folk arts of the community concerned.2 And folk literature covers myths, legends, tales, ballads, different types of folk songs, rhymes, riddles, proverbs, sayings, charms etc. Karbi folk literature like that of any tribe of North-Eastern India is very rich and varied. It can be broadly divided into five categories3 - a) folk tales b) folk songs c) riddles d) proverbs and finally e) charms. The folk tales of the Karbis cover their myths, legends, stories, jokes etc. Their folk songs include marriage songs, epic and ballads, festival songs, songs of ritual, Hacha Kekan songs, love lyrics, children songs, play songs, work songs, religious songs etc. Karbi folk literature also abounds in riddles, proverbs, chants and charms and expresses life and thought of the folk, reflects their folk mind, explains their behaviour and sustains socio-ethical, cultural and environmental values cherished by their folk society. The study is carried out with a view to searching for the values of life transmitted through their folk literature from generation to generation and evaluating those values in present day context and reorienting the new generation of the community towards their indigenous environment, culture and identity.

 1.01 Folk Values: Every community or society rests on certain values. Values are certain desires and goals, aspirations and standards, norms and codes, morals and disciplines which are considered fundamental to lead the approved way of life by the community concerned. Values, relying on a state beyond the question of being moral

  or immoral, are considered individual and social, cultural and religious, environmental and material standards used to judge, compare, approve or disapprove things in relative terms as desirable or undesirable, correct or wrong, more correct or less, more meritorious or less, useful or harmful, necessary or not etc. The values remind the folk of his or her own duties, liabilities, responsibilities as individual and as a member of the community for the survival of their culture and heritage, their society and its social system. These values are the causes of the sort of uniformity seen in the behavioral pattern of the members of the folk society of the community, constitute a lofty part of the heritage of the society and are expected to be inculcated in by all the members of the community. B. K. Barua refers to the values of heritage as the equipments for the future which may reorient the cultural and national life of the community.4 In the present technology-based world characterized with moral chaos the folk values of the Karbis, a part of heritage of the community, are in crisis and in a state of degeneration. In such a crucial situation folk literature can play an educative role, inculcate the folk values of life in the young generation and help them to live being committed to their community and nature, human and non-human others.

 1.02 Values in Karbi Folk Literature: In Karbi society their folk literature is one of their socio-cultural agencies integrated with values and assigned with the duties of inculcating the values in the folk. Karbi folk literature not only reflects their folk mind, their art and tradition, thoughts and beliefs, ideas and ideals, hopes and fears, dreams and realities, aspirations and superstitions, but tells us a good deal about their folk mind, folk life and folk values. Karbi folk literature reflects a coherent Karbi folk society with lofty socio-ethical values which in many respects is in contrast with the present Karbi society striving for values in life showing ample scope for research to be done with a view to reorienting the new generations toward a life to live with values, culture and identity.

 1.02.01 There are Karbi folk songs and tales that present us the Karbi worldview, their folk views on creation of earth and objects of nature, plantation of earth and nature of environment, creation of the first Karbi man, formation of society, role of village chief, division of rank and position, formation of clan, human life and nature, enculturation of the community, Jirsang and community activities, agriculture and

  work culture, rites and rituals, culture and tradition, status of women, past and present etc. In the “Legend of Creation” it is seen that the deities Hemphu and Mukrang after creating earth and before creating animal and man on earth decided thus “ We must now cause plants to grow on it”.5 It is surprising to see that this folk tale of date unknown, beyond the reach of History, talks about the necessity of plants for survival of human community signifying its present day relevance regarding ecological imbalance and environmental degradation. According to ‘Karbi Keplang’, a song on creation of earth and lives on it, the creator after creating the earth created first the hills and mountains, green vegetation, lakes, rivers, tributaries etc. and then birds and animals.6 It also reveals the community’s indigenous ecological wisdom that plantation and water are the basic needs for a life on earth. In an another folk song ‘Musera-Kehir ’7, sung on the third day of ‘Chomangkan’, their cremation ceremony, it is said that with a sense of hesitation the first Karbi man came out of course from the biggest of the eggs laid by the bird ‘wo-pluk-pi’ with a view to rescuing the earth from the utter chaos prevailed in the society. This song reminds the living fellows of the community of their origin, migration from one place to another, pains and sufferings, rights and duties of the Karbis signifying high note of social and historical values. These Karbi songs and tales on creation are reflective of their ethnocentrism, life living with nature and environmental ethics.

 1.02.02 The Karbi world of folktale with myths, legends and tales is rich and varied. If the Karbi myths are stories of creation and origin of things like bottle guard, chili, song, rice beer, Hemphu and creation of socio-ethical rules etc.; the Karbi legends are about some historical events, places and persons like Harbamon, Thong Nokbe, Sat Recho, Rongpherpi etc. told to educate people of their own glorious and eventful past and to encourage people to live with their own history; the tales of the community are all about some imaginary episodes, fairy events, magical spells told basically to amuse the youngsters of the community and inculcate in them certain human values. The legend of Rangpherpi 8 not simply presents the womenfolk of the community with self-respect and dignity, but the community as a whole revolting against marginalization, injustice and humiliation, suffering and exploitation. The Karbi grandmother tells a tale sitting with children at ‘hongpharlat’ of their

  ‘changghar’ (front space of their traditional bamboo house) about ‘Jangrecho’ (orphan) and his journey from sufferings to success, village life and its features, birds and animals, supernatural elements and Tenton the clever rogue who goes on cheating other persons. Some of the Karbi folktales like ‘Sun And Moon’, ‘Takun Recho’ etc. are meant for understanding the national character of a Karbi man, social codes of conduct in their society, religious rules, traditional knowledge etc. Sir Charles Lyall dealing with Karbi folktales namely ‘Story of a Frog’, ‘Story of an Orphan and His Uncles’ and ‘Story of Harata Kunwar’ is of the view that these Karbi folktales undoubtedly correspond in every respect to the general characteristics of folk literature and contain the same incidents or the same sequences of events or have the same forms what is peculiar to the folktale of all over the world, what is distinctive and characteristic is not the progress of incidents, but the local dressing, the narrator’s point of view, the colour of his daily life which he lends to the details of the story.9

 1.02.03 The world of Karbi folk song is multidimensional. The Karbis have folk songs for almost every ritual of their folk life which are meant to get the folk involved in the situation concerned and make the occasion lively. Hardly any celebration of wedding, childbirth, any cultural-religious function, any rite and ritual, work or play in a Karbi traditional society is considered complete without singing the folk song meant for the occasion. The songs are spontaneous and lyrical expression of the folk resulting from their accumulated aesthetic sense and socio-cultural responsibilities. These songs reflect their folk society with culture and tradition, knowledge and wisdom, rules and regulations of their socio-religious, political world, rites and rituals, codes of conduct, taboos, their gods and goddesses, faiths and superstitions, their ancient socio-political institutions, their patriarchal society and pains of women, their animism, relation to nature and non-human physical environment. For example the Karbi folk song sung ‘Char Kebat Alun’10 shows how grandfather Harbamon organized the village and let it to be flourished under the strong leadership of the village chief and advocated for village centered governance for the growth of the village in its all branches. Such a political value may be relevant in the present society of regional inequalities. In a song related to ‘Man-Peng Kepnangcheng’ 11 it is said that in ancient times the Karbi society was without social

  ethic and suffered from utter chaos. So a couple known as Kaku and Sam Teron introduced to their society different designation, rank and position such as king, village chief, leader of youths, priest etc. In the song related to grandfather Kashen ‘Rukasen Alun’12 it is said that he following the advice of his wife established the first Karbi village at Nangkula on the bank of river Kapili where everyone lived together in peace.

 Moreover the songs related to ‘Jirsang’ reflect the community life of the Karbi people through their institution called Jirsong which regulates all the social activities within the community.13 As it is said in these songs that once Harbamon established Jirsong, the social institution, with the cooperation of the boys and girls. Jirsang engages the youths of the village in community activities such as community cultivation, harvest of crops, handy-crafts etc. The activities of Jirsang are performed through Terang, the office of Jirsong, the community house. The concept of Jirsong is associated with inculcation of work culture among the youths and thus preparing the new generation to live for the community rather than to be a cheap commodity in the hands of multinational companies of some foreign strong capitalist groups. It may be highly effective in solving unemployment problem of our society.

 In another folk song belonging to ‘Adamasar Kangthur’ 14 it is said that Har Langbe and Be Langbe resolved to fight against the people of a neighboring village who polluted a river, the source of their drinking water. In this song the grandmother Maranpi advises her grandsons Har Langbe and Be Langbe not to fight but to learn some good rituals of marriage from them. She also tells that war makes no good to the society but good rituals do. The folk song of the date unknown with its stress on problem of drinking water and pollution, cultural assimilation and anti-war campaign is highly relevant in our polluted, violence ridden society.

 In the ‘Jahang’ festival the Karbis sing and dance with their ancient sword and shield. 15 In a song associated with the festival it is said that all boys and girls should come forward, sing and dance together and maintain old rituals and tradition, otherwise the ancestors would curse them. The Karbis are proud of their ancestors and old rituals and feel great pleasure in singing the glorious story of Reng Beng Ham. The respect for old thing and tradition seen in the folk songs of the Karbis reflect their

  high ethics and may appear instrumental in making a rootless generation learn what tradition is and how important to live with it for the survival of human community. The folk belief of the Karbis that the fertility of their agricultural land can be revived if boys and girls sing and dance together on those lands is in direct contrast with our self-consuming process of reviving fertility of land by using chemicals and fertilizers. Further their community feasts after collecting grains from the field, their worship of the god of forest and goddess of peace etc. have metaphorical importance in our present day context.

 1.02.04 Though the Karbi folk society is basically a patriarchal one the advantages enjoyed by Karbi women, their cross cousin marriage system, no dowry system, widow marriage, women’s self- dependent nature, the role of Uchepi, girls’ singing and dancing with the boys at Hachaa Kekan and Chomangkan festival, Domahi Kekan etc. clearly indicate a balanced society where womenfolk live asserting their self and identity in healthy harmony with the male folk in a Karbi society. G.C. Sarmah Thakur says- “the men folk do not think that they are a superior lot and likewise the women folk do not develop a complex that they are neglected. The sexes are not status conscious and there is mutual co-operation between the sexes in each other’s activities”16 A study of their folk tales and songs reveals that a Karbi woman respects dignity of labour and likes to be self-dependant. She is simple but becomes furious when her self-respect is in danger. She does all household duties and also helps the male folk in their works. She prepares horlang, weaves cloths, maintains the family and also remains active in their socio-economical cultural life. The tales and songs portray jolly girls working, singing and dancing ; loving, caring witty daughter-in-law; devoted wife caring for husband’s honour; kind-hearted, strict, responsible mother; wise old women, social organizer and pacifist and at the same time the cunning, jealous, villainous step mother and betrayer to lover and husband. The tales and songs also talk about the sufferings of women and the victimized girl. No doubt to attend certain functions in a Karbi traditional society is a taboo for Karbi women. The Karbi woman are the ‘Charhepi’ and ‘O’chepi’, on whom Chomangkan relies, who guide the souls of the dead back to their ancestors’ land. The ballads record the tales of anger and anguish, pain and sufferings of women in a Karbi society.

  1.02.05 The Karbi proverbs, riddles, chants and charms reveal thoughts and beliefs, experience and wisdom, codes of conduct and values of their folk life in a poetical way of expression. These culture-bound indigenous expressions, used as answers to recurrent problems or as the self-contained unit to show their approved way of life, travelling orally throughout the centuries from generation to generation have finally become an indispensible part of their written literature. In the present age of technology and urbanization the new generations of the community are hardly interested in these indigenous expressions ignoring its values to their total identity.

 1.02.06 This rapid survey of Karbi folk tales, folk songs, proverbs etc. made with a view to understanding social life and socio-ethical values in Karbi folk society leads to a realization that the Karbi folk society is a rich store house of socio-ethical environmental values which may reorient the new generation to live for their community and their land. Certain values of their folk society such as erotic behaviour in funeral ceremony, curing disease through maternal uncle, increasing fertility of land through songs and dance may not be relevant in present day society. Further their obsession with a sense of fear, hesitation and tragedy constitute a part of their character. The folk values of the Karbis such as accountability to the ancestors, community, humanity and environment are highly relevant in present age of ecological imbalance and degeneration of total environment. Moreover the stress seen on rights and duties of man, organization and development of village, work culture, engagement of boys and girls in socio-economic, cultural and creative activities, cultural assimilation, love and respect for tradition, protest against injustice and exploitation, women’s respectful position, longing for peace etc. portray the picture of a coherent Karbi folk society with lofty socio-ethical values. We are living in an age where every individual owns a tendency to go away from his or her root, the Karbi folk literature can save the Karbi society from more degeneration inculcating in the minds of the youngsters of the community a sense not to be mere commodity in the present age of consumerism and reorienting them towards a life to live with their indigenous values, culture and heritage.

 1.03 Review of Literature: The proposed project on Karbi Folk Literature with a view to studying it as an index to their folk values and also as means of reorientation

  of their younger generation is a virgin soil in the field of research. However different critics have studied Karbi folk literature and extended their views on related topics or aspects.

 B.K. Barua in his pioneering book on folklore Asomar Loka Sanskriti, P. Goswami in his books Ballads and Tales of Assam, Asomia Jana-sahitya and Essays on the Folklore and Culture of North-Eastern India, B. Datta and N.C. Sarma etc. in their books on folklore show the way for us how to make a scientific investigation to and systematic study of folk literature with certain objectives. The book The Karbis from the Papers of the late Edward Stack edited by Sir Charles Lyall makes a comprehensive study of Karbi community and throws a considerable light on Karbi folklore and narrates a few Karbi folk tales. The books like Parbatia Sadhukatha and Tribal Folk-Tales of Assam (Hills) compiled by S.N. Barkataki, Karbi Studies: Folktales from the Fringe edited by Dharamsing Teron and Sikari Tisso, Karbi Sadhu By Champaklal Boishya, Puwa aru Kukurar Dak by Suren Kramsa, Karbi Ratnamala by Longkam Teron and Deben Gogoi, Karbi Kristir Utshwa edited and compiled by Longkam Teron and Karen Das, Karbi Kimbadanti Sankalan by Longkam Teron etc. narrate Karbi folk tales, myths, legends and rituals and festivals, rules and codes etc and help in understanding the values associated with their folk society.

 The books like Lun Barim Aphar and Armung by Jorsing Bey, Sabin Alun by Samsing Hanse, Arnam Kipu by Hangmiji Hanse, Lamjir Kangdak and Jambili Athon Alun by Bidya Sing Rongpi, Ha-I, Karbi Sar Alun and Ronglin by Bonglong Terang, Chomlin Alun by Phulmati Teronpi, Choti-Choter Lapen Sar Kebat by Lunse Timung, Pengsomir by Mon Timung, Ret Kinong Alun by Sar Rajendra Timung, Rangshina Sharpo aru Karbi Samaj by Dilip Kalita etc., if dealt with translators, are of great help to enter into the world of Karbi folksongs. Similarly the book Karbi Proverbs by Longchandra Tisso helps in understanding the Karbi proverbs.

 Rong Bong Terang in his article “Karbi Loka Sahityar Abhas” published in the book Asamia Loka Sahitya edited by Prahlad Kumar Baruah categorizes Karbi folk literature into groups and provides a glimpse of its lofty socio-ethical aesthetic values. Jajnuram Gogoi in his article “Mikir” published in Asamar Janajati edited by Promud Chandra Bhattacharya talks about the Karbi, their origin and language, their

  folk literature, songs and dances, rituals and festivals, their social activities. Dipti Rani Changmai and Bani Phukan in their book Bhaiyamar Karbi Loka-Sanskriti deal with folklore and folk literature of the Karbis of the plain. Upen Rabha Hakacham in his book Axamar Janajatiya Sanskriti makes a comparative and contrastive analysis of the songs and festivals of Karbi with that of other tribes of North East India. Dhruba Kumar Talukdar in his book Axamar Janajatiya Sanskriti also deals with Karbi folk songs and dances. G.C. Sarmah Thakur in his book Selected Essays on Tribes and Castes of Assam discusses Karbi folk custom, beliefs, deities, tradition, institution and also the status of women in Karbi folk society. Dharamsing Teron in his books Karbi Studies, Vol. I and II makes a critical and comprehensive study of Karbi folk literature and its relation to their folk life. N.K.Gogoi and Farhin Ara Begum in their article “Karbi Folk Narratives: A window to social reality” published in Tribal Studies in North- East India edited by Sarthak Sengupta are of the view that Karbi folk narratives give an essential clue to the evolution of their social life. The point is that these critical analyses appear as a gateway to the research on the said subject.

 1.04   Objectives: The objectives of the proposed project are as follows:

 a.      To make a survey of Karbi folk tales, songs, riddles, proverbs, sayings, charms etc. found in oral or written form.

 b.      To make a categorization of those tales, songs, proverbs, riddles etc. into groups and a critical analysis of those with a view to projecting the Karbi folk society with its indigenous values.

 c.      To see how Karbi folk literature reflects their folk mind and daily practices, their culture and tradition, rites and rituals, customs and festivals, their ideas and ideals, hopes and aspirations, dreams and realities, fears and superstitions

 d.      To see how Karbi folk literature reflects their social mind and social life, their interrelation and responsibilities as member of society, their formation and development of society, clan system, role of village chief, division of rank and position, their activities in the society and also the values associated with their institutions and activities.

 e.      To see how Karbi folk literature reflects their folklife and its relation to nature, human accountability to nature and environmental ethics.

  f.       To highlight the Karbi folk values such as human, social, ethical, political, economic, religious, environmental, aesthetic ones sustained in Karbi folk society as reflected in their folk literature.

 g.      To make an evaluation of the Karbi folk values in the present day context.

 h.      To analyze the educative role played by Karbi folk literature and its inculcation of values in young generations.

 i.        To reorient the present generations towards their indigenous values and heritage, culture and identity.

 1.05    Chapterisation: The chapters of the project are as follows:

 a.       Chapter 1: Introduction.

 b.      Chapter 2: Karbi Folklore and Folk life

 c.       Chapter 3: Values in Karbi Folk Narratives in Prose

 d.      Chapter 4: Karbi Folk Songs: A Thematic Study in Search of Values.

 e.       Chapter 5: Karbi Proverbs: An Identity to the Expressive Self of the Community.

 f.        Chapter 6: Karbi Riddles, Tongue-twisters, Chants and Charms

 g.       Chapter 7: Conclusion.

 1.06       Methodology:

 a.      Primary and Secondary Sources are collected and thoroughly studied in search of values.

 b.      The folk tales, songs, riddles, proverbs, riddles and chants found in Karbi language are made accessible with the help of translators.

 c.      The accessible pieces of Karbi folk literature are categorized into groups and analysed with a view to projecting the Karbi folk society with its indigenous values.

 d.      A few of the Karbi villages of Nagaon and Karbi Anglong Districts are visited and a few of their rituals and festivals are attended with a view to understanding the place of values of Karbi folk life in their present society.

 e.      Approaches like narrative, informative, analytical, sociological etc. are used.

 f.       Field-trips are conducted and interactions with Karbi folks and elites are done from the perspective of values.

  g.      Socio-cultural organizations of the community are interacted with.

 h.      The place of Karbi folk values in a traditional Karbi society is compared and contrasted with that of those in a present Karbi society characterized with technology, English language and modern values of life.

 i.        The Karbi folk values are also studied from the perspective of an insider and outsider, women’s position, human-nature relationship, position of marginalized section, socio-ethical concept, economical and political consideration, religious and magico-religious practice, social integration and scientific thinking.

 j.        Theories like Utilitarianism, Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism, Ecocentrism, etc. are used in evaluation of the Karbi folk values sustained in their folk society.

 k.      Suggestions and future scope of the study are also pointed out.

 1.07 Significance of the Study: The folk literature of the Karbis is the mirror of their folk life and folk values, traditional society and institutions, culture and tradition, indigenous knowledge and wisdom, individual and social behavior and adopting variations in different space and time it deserves systematic and scientific study. In present age characterized with technology and moral depravity the folk literature of the Karbis and their folk values are in a state of danger owing to different causes like urbanization, modernization, aggression of English language, lack of the narrators and singers of their folktales and folksongs etc. No doubt a few books and articles are coming to light, yet a comprehensive work making a scientific categorization of every components of Karbi folk literature and systematic recording of those in written form is far reaching. The present study aims at a scientific and systematic division of Karbi folk tales, folk songs, their proverbs and riddles found in primary and secondary sources into different categories according to certain norms and for the first time tries to search for and evaluate the folk values of the community sustained in their traditional society in present day context. With the repository of these folk values the Karbis may emerge in Indian scenario with a unique contribution to the formation of Indian identity at large instead of remaining at the receiving end of centralized Indian ideology. One may ignore their animism and their religious philosophy and take

  pleasure in introducing them as members of a dominant religion, but the point is that no one can compel them to retell or rewrite their tale of creation or ‘Sabin Alun’ in terms of the greater Indian context. The canonical texts should be read in the context of folklore which along with similar components all over the country constitute Indian culture and construct Indianness from the below. The plurality and diversity of the Indian self rests with such convolution of peripheral resources.

      Notes and References:

  1.      P. Goswami, Ballads And Tales Of Assam, G.U., Assam, 1960, pp.1-5.

 2.      Richard M. Dorson, " Introduction Concepts of Folklore and Folk life Studies” in Folklore and Folklife An Introduction , ed. Richard M. Dorson, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1972, pp.2-5.

 3.      P. Goswami,Asamia Jana-Sahitya, Bani Prakash P. Ltd,  Assam, 1994, p.4.

 4.      B.K.Barua, Preface, A Cultural History of Assam, Bina Library, Guwahati, 1951, Fourth Edition, 2003, p.vii.

 5.      Sir Charles Lyall (ed), The Karbis, Spectrum Publications, Guwahati, 1997, pp.70-72.

 6.      N.K.Gogoi and Farhin Ara Begum, “ Karbi Folk Narratives: A window to social reality”, Tribal Studies in North- East India ,ed., Sarthak Sengupta, Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 2002, pp-118-119.

 7.      Jorsing Bey, ‘Mosera Kehir Alun’, Lun Barim Aphar, K.L.A., Diphu, 2004, pp. 84-89.

 8.      Jajnuram Gogoi, “Mikir”, in Asamar Janajati, ed., P. C. Bhattacharya, Lawer’s Book Stall, Assam, 1999, p. 119.

 9.      Sir Charles Lyall (ed), op.cit., p.45.

 10. Jorsing Bey, op.cit., pp.24-29.

 11. Longkam Teron and Karen Das, (compiled and edited), Karbi Kristir Utswa, AIRTSC, Guwahati, 1998, p.16.

 12. Phulmati Teronpi, Chomlin Aloti, Karbi Lammet Amei, Diphu, 2006, pp.113-118.

 13. N.K.Gogoi and Farhin Ara Begum ,op.cit.p.121.

 14. Rongbong Terang, “ Karbi Loka Sahityar Abhas”, Asamia Loka Sahitya, ed. , P. K. Baruah,66th Assam Sahitya Sabha, Dibrugarh, 2001,pp. 320-321.

 15. Dhruba K. Talukdar, Axamar Janajatiya Sanskriti, Bani Mandir,Assam, 2005,p.75.

 16.  G.C. Sarmah Thakur, Selected Essays on Tribes and Castes of Assam, Guwahati, Assam, 2007, p.196.

    Conclusion

       7.00 In an indigenous environment inclusive of socio-cultural religious aspects it is fundamental for the Karbis to inherit or acquire certain traditional rules and regulations, desires and goals, aspirations and standards, norms and codes, morals and disciplines collectively called values with a view to leading their traditional or approved way of life. Values, relying on a state beyond the question of being moral or immoral, may be individual or social, cultural or religious, environmental or material standards used to judge or compare, approve or disapprove things in relative terms as desirable or undesirable, correct or wrong, more correct or less, more meritorious or less, useful or harmful, necessary or not etc. The values remind of one’s own duties, liabilities, responsibilities as individual and as a member of the community and are instrumental behind the survival and future of their culture and heritage, their traditional society and its social system. For the Karbis, apart from constituting a part of the heritage of their society, their folk values determine the behavioral pattern of the everyday life of the Karbis and provide uniformity to it. The present study of the Karbi folk literature, the earliest and oral literary compositions of the community, shows that it is well integrated with their folk values with a view to providing exposure of those in working situations to their younger generations irrespective of time and space, and inculcating those values in them and enabling them to lead the approved way of life in their society. It does not mean that these values are meant to keep them primitive and away from modern knowledge but to let them live as the Karbis committed to their culture and tradition and with their indigenous nature considered beneficial and relevant in present day context.

 7.01 Importance of Values: It is a fact for the greater Karbi society, from the perspective of within and outside, that community and national consciousness and even mere political right cannot serve the community as expected if the leaders look

  for development at the cost of the marginalized sections or ignore equal development of all - the basic folk value advocated by their earliest social organisers like Hemphu and Harbamon and cherished by the community for long. Present revolutions at the Karbi soil, with due apology to a few good and dedicated workers to the community, are giving birth to on one hand a good number of leaders trapped by Dispur and personal materialistic zeals and on the other hand an opportunist middle class society who are found badly in want of their folk values, accountability to community and nature, human and non-human others and finally they search for personal gain at the cost of the rural pitiable Karbi folk. What is alarming is the growth of pseudo socio-cultural political workers interested in manipulation of revolution and commercialization of their culture, mere celebration of their festival rather that in the avowed causes of their tradition. The deforestation going on in the hills of Karbi Anglong for example in Parkup Pahar and adjoining hill areas to Chapanalla is providing temporary economic benefit to a group looking for easy money but in totality it will do no good to the community and destroy the indigenous physical environment of their land. The presence of a rootless generation detached from their folk values, animism and tradition and looking for easy money and spicy dishes is also a by-product of their one sided political revolution. The ongoing demand of the Karbis for political right to rule themselves should be reread or dealt with by the community with a holistic approach and should be accompanied by socio-cultural, religious, economic and environmental risings. Here lies the importance and relevance of understanding of their folk values especially by the younger generations, the future leaders and citizens of their land who can proceed with their feet planted in their root. If the pan-Indian folk value ‘Ahingsa Param Dharma’ (Non-violence is the prime religion) could be instrumental of India’s freedom from the British, the Karbis too, if remain committed to their basic folk values like ‘live together in peace’ and ‘equal development of all’, their folklore can provide them their right to rule themselves and help them to establish their identity in national context. In such crucial situation their folk literature can play an educative role, inculcate their folk values in the minds of the members of the community right from the early part of the lives of younger

  generation and make them proud modern Karbis living in their indigenous environment with their values and heritage.

 7.02 Values in Karbi folk literature: Karbi folk literature is the working constitution of values for the Karbis, the heritage of the community, which not only record and transmit but also help the younger generation of the community to inculcate and live with those in their practical world and face the realities in changing scenario. Karbi folk literature is one of their socio-cultural agencies integrated with values and assigned with the duties of inculcating and developing the desired values in the folk. Karbi myths, legends and tales are reflective of the lofty values of life nourished in Karbi folk society such as - live and let live together in peace and order, triumph of good, moral and honest over the evil, immoral and dishonest, human qualities, work culture and hard work for success, love for nature and ecocentrism, love for community and ethnocentrism, equality of all, welfare and development of all, love and sympathy for the needy, fight for the subdued and exploited ones, voice against injustice and marginalization, respectful position of women, sustenance of struggle, a strong sense of endurance, ability to travel through suffering in search of something new and better, longing for new experience and new knowledge, unhappiness with dullness, acquisition of traditional or practical knowledge and folk wisdom, use of wit, intellect and cleverness to save own life and property at the time of danger or for the sake of the community, love for tradition, respect for their glorious past, and respect for their local or national historical figures, village centered socio-political economical system and institutions. The folksongs are reflective of values such as - search for peace and happiness, purification of body, purification of mind and soul, purity, nobility, honesty, humbleness, goodness, humanity, giving up of ill temper, self-dependence, healthy competitive spirit, obedience, obligation, good dealing and self-confidence, love for metre, rhyme and order, longing for justice, aesthetic beauty and creativity, the victory of goodness over evil force, love for culture and tradition, freedom and identity, self-respect and dignity, ethnocentrism, obsession with sense of hesitation and tragedy, acknowledgement of contribution, respect to the elders and ancestors, culture and tradition, a sense of sacrifice and chivalric spirit, perseverance, will power, respectful place to maternal uncle,

  ecological wisdom, concern of drinking water and strong position against pollution of water, love for and accountability to environment, woman’s participation in policy making, training to the youths to make them skilled in all aspects of life, work culture, sense of cooperation, equality of king and the subjects, community service, worship of objects of nature as beneficent force, intercultural tolerance, unity, cultural openness, voice against injustice and exploitation and marginalization, joys of love and union, endurance of the pangs of separation and depression, a sense of fear and doubt, eroticism, passion and compassion of love felt through nature, belief in eternity of love and soul, belief in ancestors’ land as the final destination, symbiosis of folklife and nature, a quest for past and sociology of their fore-fathers and reconstructing the present etc. Karbi proverbs are the reflection of indigenous knowledge, practical wisdom, minute observation of the Karbis and the socio-ethical, environmental values prevailing in their folk society such as reverence to elders or old people, sense of moderation, love for peace and happiness, virtue and joy, love for truth and goodness, moral sense, love for tradition, folk costume, love for song and alliteration, metre and rhyme, sense of humour, love for co-villagers, especially for the weaker sections of the society, and condemnation of drunkard, inculcation of work culture, a sense of equality of all, welfare of all, love for nature and its objects like birds, animals, river and worship of trees etc. The proverbs are neither based on personal nor on universal values but based or shaped on Karbi folk culture. The Karbi people use these proverbs and own the values reflected as a result of the process of their own enculturation which make sense to them in terms of their own culture. Some of the proverbs are meant for respecting the old, some are for rebuking the parents and some are for advising the younger generation. Of course, the respectful position that generally a Karbi woman enjoys in their folk society is not seen in the proverbs discussed. However lots of proverbs are used in understanding human character irrespective of gender. A good number of the proverbs also reflect their sympathetic attitude towards the weaker sections of their society and that can be treated as a voice raised against any sort of exploitation and marginalisation of people. What way of life they approve or what they consider the best and true or their accumulated wisdom as revealed in their proverbs is culture-bound and may be read as ethnocentrism. The Karbi riddles

  and the tongue-twisters with recreational values are the assets of their folk society meant to socialize their new generation with their indigenous environment, material culture and eco-centric folklife, while their chants and charms with literary and religious values are the resources or means of saving of lives and agriculture.

 7.03 Evaluation of Values Sustained in Karbi Folk Literature: Karbi folk literature studied for the project reflects a coherent patriarchal Karbi folk society with much freedom to women and love for nature and sustains different type of values which may be evaluated as individual or social, local or universal, environmental, religious, historical, political, moral, socio-ethical etc. having scope of reorienting the cultural and national life of the community.

 7.03.01 Oneness with Nature and Environmental Values: Nature is the best companion, the best teacher, the most comfortable zone for the Karbi folk. They love nature, live with nature and learn from nature the best tricks to address their problems and thus the best way to live on. Karbi folk literature mirrors their folk life inseparable from nature through the images drawn from their non-human physical environment like forest, flora and fauna, elephant, tiger, dear, bear, dogs, crocodile, hawk, wild-cat, musk-rat, white-ants, fowls, vojaru birds, trees, seeds, lakes, rivers, pit, sky, fish, crab, batulu and also the images like pi, pinee, rikong, chang and chang ghar, horlang, deities and demons in relation to human environment and helps the younger generations of the community to develop a sense of oneness with nature and their indigenous environment.

 The prime environmental issues and challenges dealt with in the Karbi folk prose narratives are intra-human and human and non-human conflicts, poverty, malnutrition, problem with drinking water, selfishness, cruelty, cheating, longing for easy material gains, jealousy, immoral wishes and illicit relation, male chauvinism, society’s indifference towards women’s wishes and aspiration, misuse of non-human beings and exploitation of natural resources, human immigration to and undue human interference in non-human world.

 In the present day context of ecological degradation Karbi myths, legends and tales may play the role of practical educator in environmental teachings. The study shows that the environmental values meant to be inculcated through the

  Karbi folk prose narratives are of such nature - anthropocentricity is the tragic flaw of human beings, the human must pay the price for their maltreatment of non-human beings and exploitation of natural resources, happiness is ensured when the human listen to the voice of nature, no one is meant to be consumed by others if there is no natural demand, no one is important or strong in an ecosystem, whoever tries to disturb another component in due course of time itself gets destroyed, every non-human being has right to live and we should be sympathetic towards them, an activity for the well being of the non-human beings always gets rewarded, a sense of eco-consciousness and a give and take relation between human and non-human beings and accountability to others lead to a better environment, forceful use of nature and non-human beings by the human for their material benefit causes unending sufferings to all, human immigration to or colonization of the forest and marginalization of the weak lead to degeneration of the environment and as a rule of the nature the suppressor or oppressor is ultimately uprooted, the environmental challenges should be properly addressed, conservation of the indigenous environment should be ensured and understand the secret of a healthy environment – love all and live together in peace.

 A piece of Karbi folk literature is generally an environment oriented text. The creation songs of the Karbis, in totality, narrating the origin of various objects of nature are characterized with human dependency on nature and human accountability to environment. The “Legend of Creation” and ‘Karbi Keplang’ stressing on the importance of plantation and non-human beings for sustainability of human life, the myth of Be Langbe and Har Langbe resolving to fight with the people of neighboring village for polluting the water of their river and advocating for cultural assimilation, the tales projecting the indigenous environment at the centre, the songs depicting the inseparable relationship between Karbi folklife and nature etc. are environmental oriented texts. These properties of their heritage, if read or told from environmental viewpoints, not only help the young generations of the community to understand their land with its beauty and richness, its relation to their life, language and culture, but can undoubtedly make them environmentally re-oriented.

  The greatest challenge before the human race in the new millennium is to pass on a safe and healthy earth for the generations to come. Mere formal compulsory environmental education will not work much if the young generations are not made pro-environment or environmentally-oriented before. Here, in the field of environmental education, selected Karbi folktales will be a handy and effective tool for it is not expensive but simple, general, interesting, entertaining, neutral and what is more the story-teller and the listeners can easily adjust themselves to the context of the tales. In changing scenario the story-teller needs to be an environmentalist who can inculcate in the listener acceptable behavior and environmental values. For example, the tales ‘An Orphan and a Vulture’, ‘Vokronso’ ‘The Tiger’s Revenge’, ‘Mangbon the Brute’, ‘The Tiger and His Human Twin’ ‘An Orphan and a Vulture’ etc. are reflective of a Karbi indigenous environment characterized with ‘give and take’ way of life living with nature where sustainability of human life depends on coordination between human and non-human environments and propagate environmental values like importance of vulture, tiger or bio-diversity in sustenance of human life on earth. The tale ‘The Hog-deer of Pantisang’ projects the eco-system at the centre and the environment with its challenges, makes the human pay for their maltreatment of non-human beings and exploitation of natural resources, propagates environmental ethics such as anthropocentricity is the tragic flaw of the human community. It is meant to inculcate that the human is not to finish the other species nor to exploit the natural resources but to live in harmony with nature, help the needy and save the bio-diversity for sustainability of life and their bigger home. The tales ‘Tale of a Dove’, ‘The Hog-deer of Pantsang’, ‘Frog and the Tiger’ witness colonized forest, sufferings of the colonized selves and the tragic end of the oppressor of nature at the end. The tale ‘The Tiger’s Rongker’ poses a relevant environmental question that if the human can celebrate a festival sacrificing animal then why not the animal can do the same sacrificing a man. These tales can effectively reorient the children to build an emotional bond between human and nature, make them come forward to understand and preserve and fall in love with their own land, soil, air, river and water, wet lands and agricultural fields, forest and hills, indigenous species and its varieties, the beauty of their own language, culture and folklore and be proud of their own identity. In

  future they will neither construct building on wet lands nor vote for big dams, will never be indifferent to the cries of rhinos, human-elephant conflict, loss of indigenous species, manipulation of folk culture, the agonies of marginalized sections, unequal and unsustainable developments. If we succeed in creating such a pro-environment generation and develop a sense of eco-consciousness all around, their total environment will be safe and congenial for all to live in and ensure sustainable development of their land for the existing and the generations to come.

 7.03.02 Articulation of Sub-alternity: Karbi folk literature, though takes the elites of the community under its purview who are especially instrumental in collecting and preserving Karbi folk literature in a scientific way, is basically the literature of the rural, illiterate, underprivileged Karbis and have been transmitted by them orally from generation to generation. The term ‘subalternity’ here consciously avoids the critical notions associated with and simply refers to the underprivileged Karbis subdued and marginalized by internal or external forces or living at the bottom layer of their society. Two types of subalternity are articulated in Karbi folk literature - the sufferings of the Karbis as a community and the poor and powerless, rural and ignorant Karbis as individuals. The migration song ‘Muchera Kehir’, the legends of Thong Nokbe, Rongpharpi Rongbe, Larbin and Lirbon, etc. portray the Karbis the subalterns as a community and record the plight of the community in the hands of their strong political neighbours like Ahoms, Jayantias etc. The tales of Dengrali, Serdihun, Larta, Didi, Dimmir etc. reflect the plight of the marginalized Karbis in their patriarchal social structure and in the names of tradition and social norms. Didi and Larta are compelled to lead a humiliated life and marginalized by the male friendly strict rules of ‘Jirsong’ and society. Dengrali gets herself reduced to a tree out of shame caused by her socio-culturally strong maternal uncle and raises a voice against any sort of exploitation either of human or non-human environment. Dimmir spitting at the mouth of economically and socially strong village head protests against strong male’s conspiracy and marginalization of women. The tales of Ha-i-mu, Kave and Kadom etc. are the tales of pain and suffering of women at the hands of socio-culturally strong males. The Karbi women characters in their folk literature are seen obsessed with hesitation, a sense of loss and tragic consciousness. Most of them can

  be read as the unfortunate victim of patriarchal authority. They are the means or objects of sustenance of the anti-women patriarchal norms and ironically the subjects of execution. The tale ‘How the Monkeys were born’ is reflective of the atrocities done to the members of bachelors’ dormitory by heartless leaders in the name of providing training or work culture which took away pleasure of life from them. The tale ‘A frog and a Tiger’ is meant to inculcate that none is born to be marginalized and even the weakest with self confidence, boldness, cleverness and intelligence can raise his or her voice against the exploitative forces. The trickster tales like ‘Tenton and the Ploughman’ show cheating of the powerful by the powerless and inculcates sympathy toward the poor and needy and develops a platform for them to raise a voice against the powerful. The tale ‘The Crow and the Snake’ is meant to inculcate in the young minds of the community that no one is born to be made subordinated forever, rather the marginalized ones should fight for their right and establishment of their identity. Love and sympathy for the needy, subdued, exploited and marginalized ones characterizes the Karbi folk society seen in their tale world. Jangreso, the orphan, the dominant character of the Karbi folk tales is loved, taken care of and rewarded with beautiful heroine’s hand and kingdom. Jangreso, the orphan in different roles is always approved, appreciated and rewarded. Even the deity who betrayed the orphan after getting married is never excused by their society in the tale ‘Orphan and King of Vices’. The society is very much critical towards those who do wrong to the needy people and go against the values of the society. Karbi folk literature with such expression owns ability to make the younger generation understand the causes of sufferings of the community and of the marginalized groups within and feel oneness with the plight of the community and of the Karbis living at the bottom layer of the society. It may arise in them a sense of urgentness to address the same from community consciousness and humanitarian ground. Thus the subalternity articulated in their folk literature as referent to the wronged community and the underprivileged ones may reorient the target groups towards a better understanding of the right and equality, justice and identity of all irrespective of gender, socio-religious position and status, economic condition etc. and may contribute to the reconstruction of the value-

  based cultural selves of the young ones through their folk literature who will not be merely sympathetic towards but fight for the underprivileged Karbis in true spirit.

 7.03.03 Representation of Women and the Values associated with: A good number of women-oriented Karbi folk tales, myths, legends, love songs, ballads and proverbs reflect how the women self is constructed and voiced in their narratives, her socio-culturally constructed roles and values associated with, her reaction to those roles and circumstances and its impacts on the target group. These are meant to socialize the girls, make them disciplined and complete adult women, to mould their behavior in the expected way to suit the mind of the narrator or the demands of the patriarchal society, to teach them how to live for others, to make them bearer of tradition and culture. Of course a rereading of the women oriented tales with feminine sensibility leads the girls to probe deeper into the causes of women’s sufferings and finally to locate their place in the male made society and to transgress their situation into a means of ‘search for self’ and reconstruct their roles for themselves.

 The woman world seen in the Karbi folk literature especially in Karbi ballads and woman-centered tales is essentially a tragic one in which the womanhood is undoubtedly at the centre but projected as an unprivileged self whose body and mind gets tossed up in the system. These narrate the tales of unending owes and sufferings, pain and agony, anger and anguish of Karbi women and reflective of the Karbi folk society’s perception of and attitude towards women. The society has no objection if the strong male having a wife at home goes in search of a beautiful lady and takes her away to get married paying little attention to her willingness (Ingru Tulapi) but punishes the faithless wife to roam forever with the cloud in the sky (The Orphan and the King of Vices). The husband the prime agent of the patriarchal society is not sympathetic towards the pains of the over-worked woman but physically assaults her for being pitiless towards the males wasting time in idle. (Dog, Hyena and She-Elephant). Looking through a vulture feather the husband discovers animal spirit in mother and wife and considers them the real source of familial and domestic disorder. He never looks at himself through the feather believing in the society’s conviction that the male is always right, restores his life getting rid of the old one and married to a new one (Orphan and Vulture’s feather). The maternal uncle who made Dengrali

  pregnant and left her to a state of committing suicide goes unpunished (‘The Myth of Dengrali’). The beautiful girls are bound to suffer whose parents are poor and ignorant, who do not have a brother or brother-in-law (‘Origin of Toe-Sore’). The male leaders of ‘Jirsong’ are not considered the guilty who sexually seduce the beautiful girl members and compel them to commit suicide or make their life pathetic (‘Origin of Toe-Sore’, ‘The Legend of Baby-Hill’). In spite of taking separation from the careless husband the wife cannot get herself fully free from the so called emotional-sexual bond of marital relationship and makes her husband happy assuring that he would be the first to suck her nectar in her next life. (The Sunbird and his Wife) The society is indifferent towards the pains of the young mother feeding a baby who is compelled to work harder (‘The Legend of Baby-Hill’). Dejection of the new born baby girl in a jhum field is another example of injustice done to women (‘Womu Langlupi’). The wise old women of wit and intelligence, practical knowledge and wisdom, secret and special knowledge who can play crucial role in changing other people’s lives are marginalized by the society and let to live like beggar women living all alone in a wretched hut in a deep forest. The male chauvinistic Karbi folk society tries to establish triumph of so called goodness of women over evil forces within the periphery of women. Thus the Karbi folk society, as reflected in the women centered tales, appears biased against women and leads the young girls to understand the unequal man-woman relationship and their traditional role in sustaining that sort of unequal relationship or uneven social position in present day context and provides them scope to construct their character in their own way. These tales of women’s sufferings not merely reflect the loss of womanhood and dishonor to her inner self in a patrilineal set up but mirror the Karbi folk society from sociological perspective. The tales and songs record the agonized crisis of the Karbi woman’ body and mind and contain the embryo of their folk social discourse. It is her body and mind that is tossed up in love, passion, agility and elder hood. Poverty and insecurity rob many of them late in their life of her agility and nativity.

 Karbi folk literature is also reflective of the fact that the Karbi women, in spite of living in a male chauvinistic and male dominated society, enjoy certain advantages as compared to their counterparts among the non-tribals. They have full

  freedom to move about in their house, fields, farms and forests. They are not considered a burden and free to make choice of their life-partner. They are not seen suffering from dowry, bride price, child marriage etc. Separation happens easily and there is no taboo in widow marriage. It is seen in the supernatural tales that getting married to a rich lady or princess ensures prosperity and in ‘Orphan and Vulture’s Feather’ only a good woman restores familial and domestic peace and order. The tales like ‘Vokronso’, ‘The Legend of All Women’s Village’, Mangbon the Brute’ project women as the protector of husband and village, culture and community. The tales like ‘The Sunbird and his Wife’, ‘Dog, Hyena and She-Elephant’ etc. are reflective of female expressive behavior different that of the males. The tales show that women are capable of leading their life being free from the conventional order, pose a challenge to patriarchy and male domination and leave their husband’s house in search of their own selves. The ‘Tale of a Dove’ portrays the Karbi woman, represented by the female dove, as the voice raised against colonization, exploitation and humiliation of woman self. The simple and submissive female force in the tale suffers a lot in the hands of her strong male neighbour, the intruder who consumes her children again and again, compels her to shift from one place to another and kills her husband and is finally killed and his colonization is overthrown by the so called weak female force. Being unable to give justice to Hi-i-mu, Dengrali, Larta, Lirbon, Kave and Kadom, Marpi etc., finally the traditional Karbi female force, inspired by Rongpherpi and with a willingness to live independent, has fulfilled its wish and desire through the female dove and encourages the minds of the young girls to raise a voice of protest against any sort of exploitation and humiliation, colonization and marginalisation of woman self and to fight for respect and dignity of women, equal place and position of women in their society.

 7.03.04 Values of Historicity: Study of Karbi folk literature is the study of the masses of the community, their worldview, migration and their earlier socio-economic cultural religious and political affairs which may reorient the young minds of the community as well as outsiders to understand the history of the community from the below. The Karbi myths which are all about gods and goddesses, folk belief and folk religion are also expressive of the earliest worldview of the Karbis, creation of Karbi

  land, human and non-human beings and their indigenous environment. The realm of Karbi creation songs dealing with the origin of right from the creator to the various objects of nature constructs the Karbi worldview. The song narrating the origin of rice has reference to China. There are folk songs celebrating the existence of their earliest villages like ‘Amsikacho’, ‘Klahupacho’ and ‘Lamthamkep’, Miring Rongchopi, Teron Rongchopo, Akli Rongchopi, Boroli-e etc. which shaped and organized the earliest forms of the Karbi society. These villages led by Kashen, Harbamon with gracious presence of Hemphu gave birth to deities, rituals, worship, incantation, ways of purification, ways of life right from birth till death and from their accumulated knowledge, wisdom and imagination formulated rice-beer, bachelors’ dormitory, village chief, village administration, tales, songs, dance, rites and rituals etc. and gradually established the Karbi folk society and its sociology. Even a marriage song projects villages like Arkling and Mirring and deals with historical figures like Har Longbi and We Longbi, the grandmother and their contribution to socio-cultural history of the community. Muchera Kehir, sung on the third day of ‘Chomangkan’, can rightly be called the Oral History of the Karbi community with the sense of historicity prevailed throughout, historical life of the community with reference to their legendary figures, historical characters, events and relation with other communities of the region, their establishment of kingdom and migration, of their battles won and lost, their socio-cultural custom, economic condition, cultural assimilation etc. The song takes the names of their neighbouring communities like Ahom, Naga, Kuki etc, the places like Demra, Lemra, Boriching, Barkong etc. through which their migration took place, takes into account the names of different places, rivers and hills such as Kukichin, Mirring, Warkong, Lut, Masum, Chalu, Arkan, Tameng, Mokindun, Chaling etc. Muchera Kehir narrates the pathetic tales of Larbin-Lirbon, Rongpherpi Rongbe and Thong Teron and shows how they were tortured and humiliated by the Kachari and Jayantia kings and also states their amicable relation with their strongest neighbour the Ahoms.

 The Karbi society may not have a written history of their ancient days but is proud to have a good number of legends about their legendary figures of their historical past constituting the voice of the past of the community. The Karbi legends

  are based on historical events, places and legendary persons. These are supposed to be happened at different places inhabited by the Karbi people at different times and naturally considered to be true by the community. These are the records of reality, expression of owes and sufferings, anger and anguish, exploitation and humiliation, valour and freedom of the community and its members. The characters in Karbi legends like ‘Thong Nokbe’, ‘Waisong’, ‘Rongpharpi Rongbe’, Larbin and Lirbon instead of hanging after knowledge about the unknown are more concerned with the well being and security of the Karbis, freedom and identity of the community and remain busy in conflict with the oppressive neighbours. These legendary figures sacrificed their lives in their conflict with outsider oppressors while internal conflict is shown in the legend of Rongkhang. Further the Karbi kings like Har Pokkang, Kadeng Chiri, Rongkhang, Rengbonghom, Waisong etc. are seen establishing or ruling liberal Karbi state establishing capital at Socheng, abolishing capital punishment, extending boundary up to Kapili Dhonsiri etc. and are concerned with well being, happy and peaceful living of their people.

 The Karbi legends and folk tales are reflective of the early socio-cultural history of the community. For example, the tale ‘Ghalakghatk’ reflects a glimpse of their geographical and cultural history projecting the total environment of a Karbi land with village ‘Ronghidi’, kingdoms ‘Kowansi’ and ‘Chukcheng’, river ‘Lut’, folk festival ‘Dumahi’, community fishing, indigenous fish and fishing instruments like ‘polo’, ‘dupani’ etc., indigenous animals and insects, folk deities like ‘Mosondhori’ and ‘Langbar’, indigenous musical instruments like ‘chen’ and ‘murut’ and their folk wisdom that one is the master of one’s own will. The tale ‘The Crow and the Snake’ is metaphorical of the painful historical past of the community and their ever longing for a peaceful life. The historical tales of the community are characterized with local historical elements such as- local hero, village chief, local events, local place, local socio-cultural, political, religious happenings. The ‘Legend of All Women Village’ gives exposure to ‘Arloso Arong’, the village of all women which had its trace in the time of Karbi legendary hero Thong Nokbe. The tale records two neighbouring villages ‘Miring-Murong’ and ‘Arkli-Arklo’ and deals with a long-running environmental dispute over the sharing of the water of ‘Marle’ river. The tale projects

  Karbi women as expert weaver, protector of village and community and leaves scope for research in relation to the mythical women kingdom at Kondoli of Nagaon District. The ‘Legend of Baby Hill’ narrates the historical background of calling the ‘Putsari’ range of hills in western Karbi Anglong the ‘Baby Hill’. The tale also records factual account of sexual abuse and exploitation of women members in a bachelor’s dormitory by the male leaders. Further the names like ‘Mikir-Hat’, ‘Ling-Lang’ market, ‘Kaziranga’ etc. are expressive of the fact that the region from Kaziranga to Puranigudam and from Kathalguri to Kandoli via Chapanalla and Bamuni were initially inhabited by the Karbis. A scientific and systematic study of the historical tales and legends may lead to construct early history of the community.

 7.03.05 Moral Values: The Karbis believe that Hemphu descended from heaven to earth with the sole aim to protect the Karbis on earth. Hemphu incarnated among the Karbis as Langmingpo and taught the community certain moral ethics considered necessary for leading a healthy social life and enjoying heavenly blessing. He neither quarreled with any villager nor envied others and inculcated in the community the values of non-violence. According to him one should always consider own self inferior to others, but perform own duty the best and thus should show instance to others. He stressed on equality of all and purity of body and mind and advised all to live together in peace with love and affection for each other. According to Langmingpo people should always work with patience, self-control, farsightedness and perseverance, faith on god and work with confidence. The principles advocated by Langmingpo or Hemphu for the well being of the Karbi people and their society as well are – purification of body, mind and spirit, purity in whole life, nobility, humble and amiable nature, rejection of ill temper, self dependent, competitive spirit in mind and good sense, obedience, good dealing and self confident. However in present day context the concept of purification and purity can hardly attract the younger generation and remain relevant basically in ritual and religious activities. Thus Langmingpo who is later known as Hemphu established these rules and regulations and socio-moral ethics expecting to have an everlasting Karbi folk society of a definite texture where the villagers would live together happily in peace with love and

  affection. No doubt these values constitute the backbone of the Karbi folk mind and Karbi folk society.

 Most of the Karbi narratives appear tradition bearer, didactic and may be used to provide moral lesson. For example, even a village head like Sar Mangbi is punished by the villagers for not respecting ‘Honjengkekok’ and violating Karbi tradition. Similarly Dengrali suffers for breaking the boundary of love designed by the patriarchal society and committing sin. Through such tales the young Karbis are warned not to do anything wrong which results in bitter consequences. The tales are reflective of the values of the socio-moral ethics of Karbi society and leave success for the patient, controlled, confident, hard worker, independent, noble and humble, honest and obedient and above all project triumph of good over the evil forces.

 7.03.06 Socio-Political Values: The traditional Karbi state is characterized with good governance, democratic ideals and values, equality, fellow-feeling and a sense of cooperation seen in right from the process of making decision up to its implementation articulated with the help of its folk socio-political institutions. The traditional Karbi state is divided into three ‘Alongris’, divided into twelve ‘Longris’ constituted of a number of villages known as ‘Arong’. The Karbi king known as ‘Lindokpo’ is the administrative and judicial head of the entire state followed by ‘Habe’ and ‘Sarthe’ who are in charge of ‘Longri’ and ‘Arong’ respectively. The ‘Bor-Miji’s prime duty is to supervise if the affairs under the ‘Habe’ are running perfectly or not. ‘Mei’ the Village Council is the traditional socio-political institution at the ground level in the Karbi state. It is constituted of the portfolios like ‘Sarthe’, the village Headman, ‘Kurusor’, the priest, ‘Richobacha’, the Assistant village chief, ‘Ferangke’, the messenger and ‘Webarim’, the coach. The ‘Mei’ under the leadership of the ‘Sarthe’ performs various functions related to the socio-economic, judicial and religious activities of the villagers. The ‘Sarthe’ not only controls the day to day affairs of the villagers but also the inter-village and intra-village issues. The village headmanship is hereditary in character. Of course people can remove a ‘Sarthe’ if he is found inefficient. ‘Jirkedam’ or ‘Jirsong’ is the bachelors’ dormitory of the village meant to train up the youths in all aspects of life –socio-cultural, economic, religious and agricultural, handicrafts, community-oriented etc. and to inculcate in them the

  democratic values, sense of cooperation, fellow-feeling, work culture, folk art and craft and aesthetic sense. The Karbis have a distinct Clan System and certain rules and regulations associated with. The community consists of five clans with certain branches. The Karbis strictly follow clan exogamy and consider a marriage between a boy and girl of the same clan a sin. The children belong to the clan of their father and own his property. The important point is that the clans of the girls after marriage are not changed and so they do not take their husband’s surname. ‘Kurkepon’ is another important feature and ritual associated with through which a child without a father or a Hindu or a non-Hindu person is converted to the Karbis and given a clan of the community. Totem, one of the important features of a Karbi folk society, is an object of nature, may be a bird or a tree or an animal, adopted by the Karbis or by the members of a particular clan of the community as an emblem and believed to have spiritual meaning and metaphysical connection with them. The Karbis worship their respective totem and at no circumstance they kill the bird or the animal or cut the tree if it represents their totem.

 Karbi Customary Laws are the properties of the community. The Karbis follow the patrilineal system tracing their descent in the male line. After the death of the father the eldest son becomes the household. He becomes the owner of the father’s all movable and immovable properties and owns the obligation to perform the rites. But, if he marries a girl from the same clan he loses all right and in such a situation the next son inherits the property and the household as well. If there is no son in the family, after the death of the father, a daughter can inherit the parental property, but cannot become a household. In such a situation the nearest male relative from father’s side owns household and obligation to perform rites. Marriage is monogamy. Clan plays an important role in maintaining exogamy. ‘Kursenem’ the marriage between a boy and a girl of the same clan is a punishable crime. There is no bride price or dowry system. Divorce is permissible. After divorce, the husband and wife get the custody of grown up and minor children respectively. If she remarries, all her children are bound to go back to the father. Widow marriage is permissible. Junior levirate and junior surrogate are permitted. But at no circumstance the widow is allowed to marry the elder brother of her deceased husband. If a widow or a widower gets married violating

  the prescribed categories, they have to pay a fine fixed by the village head or council for acceptance. A widow is entitled to receive maintenance from the family of her deceased husband. If she remarries, she loses her right over her dead husband’s property. The villagers hold full right over the land they use. They can cultivate or transfer the land to others. According the demand of a situation, the village head or ‘Sarthe’ or a group of ‘Sarthe’ in a village council prescribe punishment for the wrongdoers and provide justice to the victim.

 There are certain Codes of Conduct traditionally followed by the Karbis in their folk society. The Karbi folk society is characterized with equality of all and equal growth for all and naturally free from high or low caste politics, exploitation and suppression in the name of caste, colour and race. People especially the elders and office bearers are honoured in a traditional way according to their social designation, role played in the cultural and religious activities. There are different form of traditional honours such as ‘Chi im Jirlang’, ‘Akjor’, ‘Toman’, ‘Banta’, ‘Horhak’, ‘Munchin’, ‘okkeng okbor’ etc. well defined by the folk society. It is a code of conduct for the males involving in cultural and religious activities to wear their traditional dress and especially the turban according to their designation. The host in a feast should respect the tradition ‘Ankelok’ and use ‘chobak’ in serving rice to the guests. The Karbi folk society is conscious of prestige and respect of women in their society. ‘Nihu charkan’ is one of such rule through which males are compelled to respect the ladies like the wife of maternal uncle. Further the society stresses on maintenance of a distance between a Karbi woman and her father-in-law or the elder brother of her husband.

 7.03.07 Folk Religious Values: Karbi Religion is animistic in nature characterized with its own philosophical base, purifications, worship of nature and its objects, ancestors’ worship, worship of household, varying beliefs and practices, religious experiences and behavior, deities and demons, priests and sermons etc. The Karbis do not believe in the concept of heaven and hell but think that the final destination of the Karbis is their ancestors’ land. The souls are considered immortal and can take rebirth to the corresponding clans. They believe in the concept of unity of all things- earth, man, nature and ancestors’ land. Within this unity there is a duality between ‘demon’

  and ‘deity’ well represented by ‘Hi-i’ and ‘Arnam’ respectively. The unity and duality of the negative and positive forces and the balance between them are what constitute the philosophical basis of the Karbi folk religion.

 Under the strong Assamese ego or Hinduised centre the Karbis with their own religion are compelled to remain in the periphery with suppressed identity. People immediately start to identify the Karbi deities with Hindu gods and read them from the centre. It brings crisis to the deities of the Karbis and makes them suffer from colonial ideology of the centre. Whatever the situation made by the outsiders, the reality is that most of the Karbis are still with their indigenous religion and happy to take part in their religious activities.

 7.03.08 Folk Medicinal Values: Karbi Folk Medicinal values imply their traditional viewpoints about and attitudes towards health and disease and the aspects associated with. It is the accumulated outcome of the community’s thoughts and perceptions, beliefs and customs and faith in deities and nature. They worship their household deities like Hemphu, Peng and the deity ‘Hi-i’ for the well being of their family members ensuring a balance between the good and evil forces of nature. They also celebrate the ritual ‘Vo Kartap’ for curing ‘maternal uncle searching disease’ of a child. They also worship a few deities taking names from diseases. It is not surprising that folk medicine is still the only answer for a poor Karbi living in a remote village suffering from a killing disease. Karbi folk medicine is not merely a means of curing a patient but a socio-psychological therapy providing health to the entire environment. To what extent worship to a household deity or the ritual ‘Vo Kartap’ can save the life of a Karbi but one cannot deny the structural unity that it provides to the family or the community. The meaning and significance of Karbi folk medicine which cannot be reduced reading it from the desk of modern medical science but lies in own cultural background and its function in its folk society. Waning of popularity of folk medicine among the Karbis in the context of spread of modern education and dissemination of scientific knowledge is a fact. Plantation and preservation of the medicinal plants will surely contribute to bio-diversity and to have a sustainable home.

 7.03.09 Social cohesion and integration: Nothing remains the same forever in a human situation. In present Karbi society too celebration has become the life force of

  most of the rituals. In today’s environment characterized with dissemination of scientific knowledge the Karbi youths especially the educated ones have lost their faith in folk ways of life. The limited participation festivals like marriage, purification or worship of a deity are of immense significance in the sense that these moments are not merely meant to assign new role to the individuals or to ensure welfare of a family member or for abundance of harvest but celebrated with a view to cementing the individual’s membership in the society and providing opportunity to develop oneness with culture and community. The general participation festivals like ‘Chomangkan’, ‘Rongker’ etc. let the Karbis to take part in large number by virtue of their membership and belongingness to the community and provide them opportunities to associate themselves with their greater socio-cultural occasions and to develop oneness with their folk ways of life. No doubt it promotes social cohesion integrating the individuals to the society and culture. For example, in ‘Chomangkan’, whether the souls of the dead are safely led to the ‘ancestors’ land’ or they are made free to take rebirth to their respective clans or whether the boys and girls after taking part in ‘Nimso-Kerung’ are sexually united to ensure new birth to compensate the loss caused by death etc. are not so relevant as it were before and naturally no longer remain the prime objectives or functions of ‘Chomangkan’. Its prime significance lies in the fact that it provides opportunity for the individuals to identify and associate themselves with their rites and rituals, folk belief and tradition, art and craft, songs and music etc. and helps them to develop oneness with the community and its culture. Thus ‘Chomangkan’, a celebration of death and rebirth, fertility and regeneration, appears one of the prime means of social cohesion in a greater Karbi folk society. In the present crucial juncture of time for the community sustaining a struggle for long for right and identity, the real meaning and significance of ‘Chomangkan’ lies in its sociological function promoting the individuals’ integration to the community, developing their oneness with culture, inculcating in them their prime values in changing scenario - social integration, a sense of community consciousness and right and identity.

 Another important feature seen in their social custom is the collective spirit and energy seen on the part of the entire community. Most of the festivals of the Karbis

  start at family or individual level but ends at the community level transforming a personal matter into a matter of community concern. In the structural line their festivals like ‘Chomangkan’, ‘Rongker’, ‘Hacha-Kekan’, ‘Chojun’, ‘Wolo Keter’, ‘Vo Kartap’ etc., the examples of meta-folklore describing and defining different folk genres within, a proper understanding of the interrelations of the components in relation to the complex whole will certainly lead the young generation of the community to understand the real meaning of their social folk custom, its significance as a living and unifying force and its role in their growth and development as a community.

 7.03.10 Socio-Ethical Values: The Karbi myths, legends, tales, songs and music, epics and ballads, proverbs and riddles, chants and charms are treasure house of their socio-ethical values of their approved way of life. Karbi folk literature is not merely the source of transmission of their socio-ethical values from one generation to another but also expected to be the prime means of inculcating those values in the young ones of the community.

 a. Triumph of good, moral and honest over the evil, immoral and dishonest is the prime value constituting the base of Karbi folk society meant to be inculcated through their folk literature.

 b. Almost all the narratives give stress on inculcation of work culture, development of skill, self-dependency and encourage the young generation to search for fortune within human limitation.

 c. Goodness and honesty, justice and righteousness, innocence and fidelity, honesty and faithfulness, pleasure and amusement are the lofty values of life nourished in Karbi folk society and inculcated in the young ones through their folk literature.

 d. Stress is always on acquisition of traditional knowledge and folk wisdom and also of human qualities like love, affection, fellow-feeling, equality, kindness, help, sympathy etc.

 e. Equality of all, even between the ruler and the ruled is the striking feature of the Karbi folk society and compels even the king’s son to work hard in the paddy field for his establishment. The rules are the same for all.

  f. Love and sympathy for the poor and the needy characterizes the Karbi folk society and raises a voice against any sort of marginalization of the weaker sections.

 g. Almost every tale ends with the establishment of peace and order reflecting the motivating value of their folk society, the motto of their life– live and let live together in peace and order.

 h. Ability to travel through suffering in search of something new and better, indomitable will power, longing for new experience and new knowledge, unhappiness with dullness are also inculcated through the tales.

 i. A Karbi woman must be true to Husband. Betrayal or faithlessness is never tolerated in the patriarchal Karbi folk society.

 j. The codes of conduct, norms and rules laid down by the Karbi folk society and transmitted orally through the tales, songs, proverbs etc. are meant to be strictly followed by all and violation of the rules or tradition by anybody invites only punishment. For the Karb folk society the approved way of life is the only road to happiness.

 k. The Karbis are not coward or escapist but they hate war and love peace. They have been living with their own identity fighting against their stronger neighbouring communities. Sustenance of Struggle and a strong sense of endurance have been in their blood.

 l. The Karbis believe that greed, lazyness, cruelty, foolishness etc. are the causes of downfall and invite drastic consequences which are found in the tale world of the Karbis transmitted with a warning to the new generation to get rid of those.

 m. Cleverness and tricks used in greater interest or against the oppressor is appreciated.

 n. Love for tradition, respect for their glorious past and historical figures, acknowledge of the contributions of their elders are the values meant to be inculcated in the new generations of the community through folk literature. They like to live with their history, the pleasures of the triumphs and agonies of their painful past.

 o. A good number of Karbi tales right from their legend of creation are marked with eco-centrism and environmental ethics while ‘Karbi Kaplang’ and a few legends are characterized with ethnocentrism.

  p. The faith in village centered socio-political economical institutions and equal growth of all is one of the great properties of the Karbis to avoid regional disparity and ensure all round development of the community.

 7.04 Values in the perspective of Cultural relativism: Cultural relativism deals with the roles of values in a culture. As far as the values in Karbi culture are concerned, the values related to human qualities, truth and beauty are fixed and owned or inculcated throughout the ages without question. On the other hand certain folk values of the community like eroticism in ‘Chomangkan’, animism, values with magico-religious rituals like ‘Vo Kartap’ etc. are flexible in the sense that in such cases the individuals or the community or the culture, under the influence of time and space, may desire change. But the degree, to which the change is desired, within the same culture, varies from educated to uneducated, rural to elite, young to old, East Karbi Anglong to West Karbi Anglong. Someone has totally discarded animism and adopted a different religion while a good number of Karbis converting themselves to Hinduism still worship their folk deities. Someone has rejected eroticism in ‘Chomangkan’ as savage and the host may like to change the time of singing and dancing erotic ones from midnight to early morning. Similarly the magico-religious practices are hardly followed for its avowed causes but for familial cohesion, emotional release, psychological strength and aesthetic pleasure.

 Ethnocentrism, prevailing right from their creation from the biggest egg and considering themselves only the ‘Arleng’ the human beings up to their control over good and evil forces, deities and ‘ancestors’ land’, is also a value in Karbi culture suggesting that their way of life is the best and should be preferred by all. It helps the young Karbis to identify and associate themselves with the community and its culture and above all to its approved modes of behavior and value system. However, the new generations of the community, being exposed to modern education and technological progression and having close connection with the cultures around, though inherit ethnocentrism as a part of their early enculturation, initiate an reorientation in their thought-process, try to distinguish between reality and supernatural, and desire a change. Cultural-relativistic point of view is not meant to underestimate a value but to understand the validity of a set of norms within the periphery of the culture in present

  day context. In today’s environment whether the boys and girls after taking part in ‘Nimso-Koerung’ are sexually united to ensure new birth to compensate the loss caused by death is not relevant. For another group, in the present day society characterized with so many evils and moral depravity, to what extent the Karbi erotic folklore harms the ideals and morals, values and ethos of a modern man is a matter of a big question. The point is that an outsider should not but the Karbis themselves are to judge their erotic folklore in relative terms and mark the future of the unique folkloristic phenomenon.

 7.05 Way to scientific thinking: Karbi folk literature is the domain of numerous oral songs, ballads and epics, myths, legends, tales, proverbs, riddles, tongue-twisters, chants and charms and reflective of their material culture, custom and practices, art and craft, celebrations and their folk religious activities etc. Sustaining Tradition and continuity, pervasiveness and variation and travelling through time and space Karbi folk literature becomes historically resourceful, culturally inter penetrating and socially representative of their local features and national glory. It provides insight into a collective psyche, accumulated thought and wisdom. The human civilization or its surface growth does not necessarily segregate the people from its root. Viewed historically, the study of folklore presents before us a roadmap of a community’s growth from antiquity to modernity, from religious belief to scientific thought. The point is that the so called unscientific past is not at all disposable garbage, it has scope to make the future better. The legend of creation signifying the importance of plantation and other beings for human life on earth, teachings of Hemphu constituting the national character of the Karbis, stress on equality and equal development of all, village centered ways of social development undertaken by Harbamon, the tale of We Longbi and Har Longbi protesting against environmental pollution, teachings of grandmothers like ‘Marongpi’, the tiger tales metaphorically suggesting the importance of bio-diversity, the folk belief that fowl came into being from serpent, the ‘Muchera Kehir’ preparing for the present through their past, ‘Jirsong’ developing skill of the new generation etc. are enough to give birth to reasonable, rational or scientific thinking in terms of the present total environment and lead the young generation of the Karbis to look forward to the welfare of the community

  scientifically. Such a reading of the Karbi folk tales and creation songs may strike the thinking zone of the younger generations of the community, lead them to scientific values of many of their folk beliefs and cultivate scientific way of thinking.

 7.06 A Sense of Duality among the Karbis: The Karbi folk literature depicting the existence of opposite forces like spiritual and erotic in the socio-cultural, religious folk custom of the Karbis, sense of submission and aggression in their mythical and legendary characters, love for humour and obsession with a sense of tragedy, longing for order and living in chaos, hopes and aspirations for a change with a sense of hesitation, wish to go to the final destination the ancestors’ land only to come back to the same clan for living on earth, death and rebirth, degeneration and regeneration, purity and impurity, ‘demon’ and ‘deity’ represented by ‘Hi-i’ and ‘Arnam’ respectively, ‘Jangreso’ the Orphan the honest and the trickster, the tiger the means of savior or damnation, the grandmother the wicked and the wise, encouragement of women participation in bachelors’ dormitory and their subsequent exploitation, projection of demon’s village at the vicinity of that of the Karbis metaphorically suggesting the co-existence of good and evil, positive and negative forces etc. is reflective of a sense of duality inbuilt among the Karbis. Yet it cannot be said that the manipulation of folk self witnessed in the caretaker of nature destroying a forest, savior of community betraying the race for individual benefit, bearer of tradition becoming instrumental in degenerating the values have not originated from that sense of duality sustained in their national character, but it is the result of pollution of folk mind with rootless materialistic zeals.

 7.07 Negative Folk Values among the Karbis: Exposure to Karbi folk literature and a few of their rural societies it is realized that the Karbis are neither coward nor escapist as they are considered by a group of outsiders. Similarly it is nothing but a mere superstition on the part of the non-Karbis of Chapanalla and its adjoining areas when they accuse the Karbis of that locality of making the non-Karbi young boy eat the ‘Pohan’ a kind of poison and get him killed and sacrificed before cultivation. There is nothing to be called ‘Pohan’ and it is injustice to the Karbis associating them with such a heinous crime.

  From outsider’s point of view Karbi folk literature reflects certain negative folk values such as consideration of own self inferior to others, obsession with a sense of hesitation, fear and timidity, obsession with a sense of tragedy, use of tricks and violence against the wrong-doers, violation of human rights in the name rules and community works, marginalization of women to a certain extent, inability to understand the pains even of a over-worked mother feeding a baby, anti-environmental jhum-cultivation and forest-fire, deforestation, hunting of wild animals, community fishing pouring poison to river water etc. which appear detrimental to the welfare and development of the individuals and the community as well. The tales and the songs reflect that the Karbis right from their creation seen in ‘Karbi Kaplang’ are obsessed with a sense of hesitation and tragedy, a feeling of unease and uncomfortable, a sense of sadness of being unfortunate which may give rise to a sense of complexity in the minds of the young ones. A sense of hesitation towards something or somebody new is seen in the characters of the tales which is peculiar to the national character of the Karbis. Such negative traits may be beneficial in maintaining their own culture free from any foreign influence but also responsible for developing negative force within. To see a Karbi person leading the state of Assam especially in political affairs is still a far cry. It is surprising to see that the Karbis, the son of the soil, the earliest of all communities to inhabit the land, are still struggling for their rights to rule themselves. The internal negative forces like hesitation to lead are also to blame along with the strong unfriendly external forces.

 7.08   Suggestions:

 f.       Aggression of English language and western culture should be checked.

 g.      Karbi language should be made the medium of instruction especially in the pre-primary and primary schools.

 h.      Tale-telling session should be made compulsory in pre-primary school.

 i.        In teaching of Assamese and English languages translated versions of texts from Karbi folk literature should be prescribed so that the students can easily contexualise the texts and learn the target language.

 j.        Secondary Education Board of Assam, All Assam Higher Secondary Education Council and the Universities of Assam should prescribe translated

  texts from Karbi folk literature. The students of Assam made so familiar with Shibaji, Akbor, Hemingway or festival Holy should no longer be kept away from the tales of Rongpherpi, Thong Nokbe, Ha-i-mu or Chomangkan.

 j.     The universities of the state should encourage more research in Karbi folklore.

 k.   Telling of the folktales in its true spirit and natural setting should be experienced by the younger generation.

 l.     The narrators should retell the tales to the younger generations with a view to inculcating in them the values relevant in the present context.

 m. The narrator of folktale should tell the tales from different perspective considering the need of the situation. He or she should be ready to retell the tales as an environmentalist or moralist, with feminine sensibility or community consciousness.

 n.   At no circumstance the folk songs should be allowed to be commercially dealt with.

 o.      Workshops, seminars, competitions etc. may be arranged for popularization of folk tales, songs, proverbs, riddles, tongue-twisters and folk speech.

 p.   Training camps should be arranged with a view to preparing narrator of tales, singer of folk songs, diviner, priests, player of folk instruments, singer of chants and charms etc.

 q.   Secondary existence of Karbi folk songs and their folk dance in its indigenous forms may be practised with a view to popularizing those and providing opportunity to the young generation to learn the skills required for performance in its first existence.

 r.       ‘Jirsong’, ‘Chang Ghar’, indigenous kitchen and loom etc. should have existence in tune with modern needs.

 s.       Not the celebration but the avowed causes of celebrating a ritual should be the life force of the rituals.

 t.     The community should be concerned with equality and equal development of all Karbis and all people living in Karbi land instead of locating development only for one section.

  q. Stress should be on to sustain the indigenous nature of the environment of the Karbi land.

 h.   Loss of faith in folk beliefs and animism should be revived.

 i.     Conversion to Hinduism and Christianity should be stopped.

 j.     Karbi Religion should be recognized. If the Hindus are not ready to read their goddess Saraswati as Athena or Minerva the practice of understanding Karbi deities through Hindu gods and goddesses should be stopped.

 k.   Now it is the duty of the community and the students of folklore around to ensure sustenance of the indigenous nature of the Karbi folk literature along with  its traditional  values  especially the  human, cultural  and  environmental ones from the influence of the technology and moral depravity of the modern world with a view to reorienting their present generations to their indigenous

 environment, adjusting them with their own culturally constituted world and thus enabling them to be not the rootless modern but the proud Karbis of the global world living with their own culture, history and identity.

 7.09 Future Scope of Study: The present study with introduction on Karbi folklore discussed in terms of folk literature, material culture, social custom and performing arts, systematic division of Karbi folk tales, folk songs, proverbs, riddles, tongue-twisters, chants and charms accessible, analysis of those from the perspectives of values sustained in, carefully made bibliography and glossary, appendices of folktales, lullabies and chants etc. may attract attention of and appear as gateway to students of folklore to go for further research in the topic dealt with or in any aspect associated with Karbi folklore and folk literature. The discussion on Karbi myths may lead one to make comparative study of Karbi creation myths in relation to that of other cultures of North East India. Similarly the project leaves scope for scientific study of Karbi legends and historical tales as oral history of the community. The study also leads to morphological study of Karbi folk tales and stylistic study of Karbi folk songs. Reading of Chomangkan in the present study may encourage structural study of Karbi rituals and festivals or the festivals as means of social integration. One may make scientific and systematic study of variants of Karbi folk tales and songs. The present study also leaves scope for study of Karbi folk literature from sociological perspective

  or environmental point of view. One may opt for the topics initiated in the study such as articulation of sub-alternity or feminine sensibility in Karbi folk literature. The study also points out that there is scope for research in Karbi folk arts and crafts, Karbi religion, their folk medicine, folk speech and performing arts. Further the role played by Karbi folklore, their language and their socio-cultural political history in constructing greater Assamese culture and identity, history and sociology demands further research.

 7.10 Conclusion: The Karbi world is essentially a value-based one. Karbi folk literature reflects their worldview, the way of life approved and the values of life fostered by the community. The real value of their folktales and folksongs, as a source of sociological data, lies not in its concern with particular persons or incidents, but in its typical portrayals of situations, relationships and attitudes towards life. These are reflective of typical pictures of Karbi familial relationships, social institutions, relation between an individual and society, society and nature etc. and these pictures, when synthesized, provide a more balanced and comprehensive view of the Karbi folk society and have been playing the vital role in the sustenance of socio-cultural religious structure of the community. The values whether moral, socio-ethical, cultural, aesthetic, religious or environmental ones constitute the backbone of their folk society. Some of the values are personal, some are community concerned. Whether these values are egoistic or universalistic, hedonistic or utilitarian, good or bad, relevant or irrelevant, in present day context these are realized in relative terms and are undoubtedly the properties of the cultural heritage of the community and naturally its future never lies in the attitude of the outsiders. Some of their folk values appear relevant and appropriate to other community and seem to have universal appeal. For instance, their tree worship may reorient us to think about the relevance of trees in keeping our home sustainable. Such look-universal environmental value is the bye-product of a Karbi proverb considering the trees having different gods, but the point is that here the value is deeply rooted in their folk belief and animism and has inter-textual reference to their legend of creation. Thus the richness of a Karbi folk value sustained through their folk literature lies not in its appropriateness to other communities but is best realised in their own culture.

  With the passage of time and introduction of electronic recreational machines neither the proverbs nor the riddles and tongue-twisters, the indigenous forms of passing time, are popular with the younger generations of the community. The children of town areas can hardly solve the riddles for their inability to identify the referents, for not having access to their folklife and not seen interested in learning the tongue-twisters. The guardians too feel the limitations of riddles or tongue-twisters for development of intelligence or cognitive abilities of their children in the present age of competition. The point is that the community cannot let such indigenous expressions which mirror the earliest form of poetic and intellectual, creative and imaginative self of the community to be washed up. Workshop may be organized and it should be preserved in its original form for the interested generations to come.

 The socio-cultural religious values reflected through their chants and charms are basically community oriented utilitarian ones and sustained or rejected on the basis of its consequences in changing scenario. For instance they still inculcate in their younger generation a sense of commitment to their culture and tradition, elders and ancestors, belongingness to their people and community. But the patriarchal and male-centric values behind women’s restricted position in certain rituals are now questioned and purification of their dead body without ‘Duk’ before cremation are totally rejected for ensuring women’s respectful position in their society. Similarly they have almost rejected erotic folklore as obscene in their modern set-up. It is sorry to see that a few of their household and many of their territorial and agriculture related deities are now struggling for existence in modern Karbi homes and developed areas. It is painful to see a good number of youths of the Karbis, whose ancestors worshipped trees and suffered at the pain of a tree, are now seen being detached from their folk values and instrumental in deforestation of the Karbi hill leading their home to a state of ecological imbalance. The loss of faith in their animistic belief would be detrimental to their indigenous environment and identity of their community and religion. Naturally the younger generations of the community, in present day context discovering themselves in a state of transition from tradition to modernity, are though in favour of continuing their religious rituals but most of them, especially the Hindus are seen detached with the philosophy of their folk religion and values associated with

  and hardly interested in learning their chants and charms. And the Christian Karbis interviewed are seen interested only in cultural aspects and want to keep themselves detached from their indigenous religious rituals. The future of their chants and charms, especially after the death of the present priests and diviners, will be in danger if a few groups of their new generations do not come forward by themselves for acquiring those invaluable properties of a Karbi folk society.

 All principles, norms or codes of conduct in a Karbi folk society, whether moral or ethical, socio-cultural or environmental, political or religious, guide the behavior of a Karbi folk and collectively mould their indigenous value system. A value is a value in the context to which and for the people to whom it belongs, hence evaluation of values is a relative concept and can be understood better in its own background. Each and every practice in a Karbi folk society, whether getting married to the maternal uncle’s daughter or erotic songs and dance of cremation ceremony, customary laws or ways of paying honour, tree worship or obsession with hesitation has its own values and cannot be devalued from outside. These are not inborn characteristics of an average Karbi folk but are taught to and acquired by the folk through oral literature, the process of socialization, interaction with nature and others, participation in community activities etc. In a traditional Karbi society the values are significant not simply for shaping the folk’s behavior and individuality but for constituting the texture of their folk society and nature of their approved way of life. Some of their traditional values may be no longer relevant in present day society. But those values whether good or evil, relevant or irrelevant, right or wrong, are the properties or cultural heritage of the community and should be preserved in a scientific way if cannot be practised or inculcated in. Now it is the duty of the community and the students of folklore around to ensure sustenance of the indigenous nature of the Karbi folk tales and songs along with its traditional values especially the human, cultural and environmental ones from the influence of the technology and moral depravity of the modern world with a view to reorienting their present generations to their indigenous environment, adjusting them with their own culturally constituted world and thus enabling them to be not the rootless modern but the proud Karbis of the global world living with their own culture, history and identity.

  Assamese culture and language belong to none but to all communities who have been living in the region since pre-independence era contributing to the growth and development of Assamese culture and language, formation of Assamese community and identity. No one should ignore the interpenetration of the Karbi elements in formation of cultural and linguistic, anthropological and sociological identity of Assam and the greater Assamese community. This study simply exposes the richness of Karbi folklore and their folk values in reorientation of their younger generation towards proper understanding and sustenance of their environment in totality, culture and language, right and identity, but leaves certain questions unanswered - what are the contributions of the Karbis to the Assamese culture and folklore, language and nationality? And the same question needs to be extended and scientifically addressed in the context of global India. What is precisely there in the cultural and political history of Assam and India as well that represents the Karbis and their land? The Karbis are not happy with the occasional recognition of their needs and rights and carefully made explanation of their culture and history by the advocators of the elite centre. Rather it should be acknowledged that they are undoubtedly a strong peripheral reality contributing to constitute Assamese and Indian culture and nationality with their own uniqueness, folklore and identity.

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[themusicenthusiast]

Single Review: “I Can Change” by Lake Street Dive

The arrival of Lake Street Dive’s sixth studio album is nearly here, Free Yourself Up set for a May 4th release (and out via Nonesuch Records), the band who seems poised to be one of the next breakout bands in the music world giving fans another riveting look at the album recently with the release of “I Can Change”. A gentle, largely acoustic track, it acts as a vessel for Rachael Price and her stunning set of pipes, the vocalist delivering another ravishing performance that will leave listeners in awe. Soulful and punctuated by hints of a jazz influence, she carefully and gorgeously articulates each word, putting as much emphasis on the next as was noticeable on the last, literally keeping the listener hanging on to every word. Matching the delicate nature captured in the minimalistic music bed to tapping into a deeper, more forceful tone that is rich and lush, her delivery is sincere and heartfelt as she reflects on the state of things in regards to both the world and herself, pondering where society and even she as an individual are and the point both can evolve to.

“Hate casts a long shadow. I know that I lie in it, and let it rule my mind from time to time…” Those opening lines establish “I Can Change” so magnificently, the song being rooted in the hate that persists in the world today, where some want to continue to oppress and marginalize different groups based solely on their race, beliefs, or other ways people choose to live their lives. The chorus, “…I can change. I can still change…” is meant to ring loud and true and resonate with everyone, a call to be better and to move beyond such basic actions and emotions, highlighting a person’s desire to be and do better. To be more respectful of the other lives they get to coexist with on this planet and be more welcoming to all individuals. The second verse ends with another superb line, “…I am scared that I won't get it right. But fear won't rule my heart tonight.” It’s marked by hesitation in Price’s voice, the need to hold oneself to a higher standard ultimately overriding the fear of failing. Perhaps the greatest thing that “I Can Change” has going for it is the fact that, while the message behind it is laid out pretty plainly, it’s still a song that is open to interpretation. The hate it speaks of could just as easily be touching on self-loathing, the change in question running even deeper, perhaps instead referring to a personal battle with some sort of addiction or other destructive behavior. The song providing a reminder that it’s never too late to change and that a future always lies ahead, no matter how off course a person may believe themselves to be. A powerful and stirring song, “I Can Change” further conveys the artistic and musical might that Lake Street Dive possesses. It’s beautifully crafted, boasting wonderful layers and it’s teeming with emotions, the fact that they are more nuanced just making the latest single from Free Yourself Up all the more compelling. Pre-order Free Yourself Up on: iTunes | Google Play | Amazon MP3 Visit Lake Street Dive’s websites: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube Current Shows: 2018 May 4--The Sinclair--Cambridge, MA 5--The Shea Theatre--Turners Falls, MA 6--Ulster Performing Arts Center--Kingston, NY 8--Higher Ground--South Burlington, VT 9--College Street Music Hall--New Haven, CT 10--Brooklyn Steel--Brooklyn, NY 12--The Fillmore--Philadelphia, PA 13--Mr Smalls Theatre--Millvale, PA 15--Thalia Hall--Chicago, IL 17--Palace Theatre--Saint Paul, MN 18--Simon Estes Amphitheater--Des Moines, IA 19--The Pageant--St Louis, MO 21--KiMo Theatre--Albuquerque, NM 23--Ford Theatres--Los Angeles, CA 24--House Of Blues--Anaheim, CA 25—Fillmore--San Francisco, CA 27—BottleRock--Napa, CA 29--Commodore Ballroom--Vancouver, Canada 30--Showbox SoDo--Seattle, WA June 1--Ogden Music Festival--Ogden, UT 2--Montbleu Resort, Casino and Spa--Stateline, NV 20--House of Blues--Cleveland, OH 21--Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia--Charleston, WV 23--Ottawa Jazz Festival--Ottawa, Canada 25--Toronto Jazz Festival--Toronto, Canada 26--Le Poisson Rouge--New York, NY 28--Rochester Jazz Festival--Rochester, NY 29--Count Basie Theatre--Red Bank, NJ 30--Tanglewood Music Center--Lenox, MA July 2--The National--Richmond, VA 3--Outdoor Stage Pisgah Brewing Company--Black Mountain, NC 5--WTMD First Thursday--Baltimore, MD 7--Thompson's Point Outdoor Concerts and Events--Portland, ME 8--Levitate Music and Arts Festival--Marshfield, MA 10--Charleston Music Hall--Charleston, SC 12--North Carolina Museum Of Art--Raleigh, NC 13--Variety Playhouse--Atlanta, GA 14--Variety Playhouse--Atlanta, GA 16--House of Blues--New Orleans, LA 17--House of Blues--Houston, TX 19--George's Majestic Lounge--Fayetteville, AR 20--Bomb Factory--Dallas, TX 21--Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theatre--Austin, TX August 30--Frederik Meijer Gardens--Grand Rapids, MI 31--Manchester Music Hall--Lexington, KY September 1--Monarch Music Hall--Peoria, IL 3--Englert Theatre--Iowa City, IA 4—Slowdown--Omaha, NE 6--Red Rocks Amphitheater--Morrison, CO 10--Bridger Brewing--Bozeman, MT 12--Wilma Theatre--Missoula, MT 13--Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery--Woodinville, WA 14--Revolution Hall--Portland, OR 16--Whale Rock Festival--Templeton, CA 22--Sonoma Harvest Music Festival--Sonoma, CA 28--Roots n Blues N BBQ Festival--Columbia, MO 29--Levitt Shell--Memphis, TN October 11--O2 Shepherd's Bush Camden--London, UNITED KINGDOM 25--Brown Theatre--Louisville, KY 26--Pabst Theater--Milwaukee, WI 27--The Riveria Theatre--Chicago, IL 29--The Vogue--Indianapolis, IN November 1--Ryman Auditorium--Nashville, TN 2--Newport Music Hall--Columbus, OH 3--State Theatre of Ithaca--Ithaca, NY 5--Beacon Theatre--New York, NY 6--Beacon Theatre--New York, NY 9--The Anthem--Washington, DC 10--Tower Theatre--Upper Darby, PA

[topmixtrends]

IT’S HARD TO MISS the similarities between Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation (2016) and his breakout film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007). Both films focus on a single protagonist engaged in an all-consuming quest on someone else’s behalf. Each unfolds over a very short time period — one day, in the case of 4 Months; three days, in the case of Graduation. Each film either begins or concludes with a moment of sexual violence against women. And both are defined cinematographically by tight framing and long takes, the sense of urgency and paranoia that have become synonymous with Mungiu’s style. The vision they advance is that of the world as a cruel place where violence simmers under the surface of everyday life. The similarities between the two films — one set in 1987, the other in 2015 — led many reviewers to conclude that Graduation was Mungiu’s attempt to point out how little has changed in Romania in the 25 years since the fall of the Ceaușescu regime. But Graduation is also a meditation on the shifting line between East and West and a first attempt to sketch out the existential situation of the post-1989 generation: those born and raised entirely after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Three Worlds system.

Where 4 Months centered on two friends, Graduation focuses on an intergenerational father-daughter duo. Romeo (Adrian Titieni) is a highly respected doctor in Cluj, bent on ensuring that his daughter Eliza (Maria-Victoria Drăguș) is able to emigrate to the West. Having come of age before the fall of communism, Romeo conceptualizes the world in terms of a clear East/West divide. Halfway into Graduation, Romeo finds himself chatting with his old friend, the police inspector (Vlad Ivanov), at the top of a mountain ski resort just outside the city. The two middle-aged men look westward and reminisce about going up the mountain in their youth. “The view this way doesn’t look as good anymore,” the police inspector says. “Yes, the trees have gotten too high, you can’t see past them,” Romeo retorts. His willful interpretation of the inspector’s critique of “the West” in the most literal manner possible is consistent with his idealism: his idea that “over there” things work differently — that state institutions are less corrupt, that individuals are promoted based on their merit and not their family’s connections. Eventually, we learn that Romeo and his wife Magda (Lia Bugnar) had emigrated to the West in the 1980s but returned when the Ceaușescu regime fell in the hopes that they could help build a better, more honest Romania. It is no surprise, then, that Romeo’s utopian vision of the West feels antiquated, frozen in time: it belongs to an older political framework.

Eliza’s sense of her place in the geopolitical scheme of things is never fully articulated (presumably, because Mungiu himself is closer in age and sensibility to Romeo). She certainly belongs to the more global Generation Z, a generation defined simultaneously by increasing cultural homogeneity across borders and the revalorization of the local that homogeneity has inspired. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that Eliza feels deeply ambivalent about the possibility of emigration. She appears skeptical of her father’s beliefs and reluctant to live out the life he has planned for her. The film concludes with Eliza asserting her right to decide — for herself — whether she stays or goes.

Although the film portrays certain parent-child dynamics that are universal, one wonders to what extent Eliza’s resistance is informed by recent shifts in Europe’s political geography. For a film that explicitly addresses the dream of the West and the problem of the Eastern European brain drain, it is surprising that the European Union is never mentioned. After all, Romania, together with Bulgaria, joined the EU in 2007, when Eliza’s character would have been only 10 years old. The only indication of the EU’s presence in the film, however, is a basic plot point: Eliza needs to take the state-wide exam entitled, like the French one, baccalauréat, to receive her high school diploma because that is the European standard. Shouldn’t other administrative reforms, the greater oversight demanded by the European community, have wrought greater changes in the intervening years? Mungiu speaks through this omission about a fact that is loudly discussed in many Eastern (and not so Eastern) European kitchens: the twilight of the European project.

¤

At first glance, Graduation might not have much in common with Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang (2015) and Kirill Serebrennikov’s The Student (2016), two other films from “the East” that have done remarkably well on the festival circuit. The films come from Romania, Turkey, and Russia — countries with vastly different histories. Yet all three attest to the darkening of the skies over the Western horizon and the resurgence of archaic forces that these countries believed to have left behind in their 20th-century efforts to secularize, modernize, equalize. If in Graduation these forces are nepotism and corruption — along with the sense that Romanian society is a morass impervious to progress — the situation presented in Mustang and The Student is far more dire. Both films portray the revival of religious fundamentalism in their respective countries with all the familiar, dreadful repercussions for women, gay and transgender people, and so-called “freethinkers.”

In all three films, the generation gap is the principal narrative device through which these resurgent forces emerge. Like lab specimens on specially prepared slides, the films’ teenagers are caught between two advancing panes of glass: increasing skepticism toward the Western liberal project on the one hand, and the threat of regression into religious or nationalist dogma on the other. The films struggle to balance a sociological impulse with an accusatory tone as they set about interrogating the failure of their respective states to make good on the promise of that emancipatory moment, back in 1989: “Where are we 25 years later?” they ask. “Why the stagnation across the board? Why the radical turn to the right?”

Mustang, now available on Netflix, focuses on five orphaned sisters who go to live with their traditional grandmother (Nihal Koldaş) and uncle (Ayberk Pekcan) in a village in Eastern Turkey. The girls are spotted playing on the beach with some boys, and rumors begin to circulate. From that day on, the girls are no longer allowed to return to school and find themselves increasingly imprisoned inside the house. They must shed their jeans and tennis shoes for long, modest dresses, and spend their days learning the finer domestic arts. After the girls run away to attend a soccer match, their grandmother begins to marry them off one by one. With the oldest two sisters out of the house, it becomes apparent that the uncle is sexually abusing the middle sister, Ece (Elit İşcan), at night, and has, perhaps, abused the others. In the end, only the younger two sisters manage to escape — westward — to Istanbul.

The Russian film, The Student, serves as a rejoinder to Mustang, highlighting the power men stand to gain at the expense of subalterns. Given that the screenplay is based on a German play (Marius von Mayenburg’s Märtyrer), the film is appropriately set in Kaliningrad, formerly a German city known as Königsberg. That the city was also home to Immanuel Kant makes it the perfect stage for a battle between religious fundamentalism, incarnated by teenager Veniamin Yuzhin (Pyotr Skvortsov) and Enlightenment reason, performed by his Jewish-born, atheist biology teacher, Elena Krasnova (Viktoriya Isakova). Having read and seemingly memorized the entirety of the New Testament, Venya, as he is more commonly called, sets out on a crusade against what he sees as the moral decadence of his school. He exasperates his female classmates with his admonitions that they dress and behave more modestly, and his teachers with lengthy quotations from the Bible that contradict their curricula, from the theory of evolution to the Industrial Revolution. He does not even spare institutionalized religion, informing the school’s priest, Father Vsevolod (Nikolay Roshchin), that he is nothing but a venal phony, more interested in gold than in God. It is not long before he has the largely female school administration giving in to his demands. Venya’s most admirable foe and the only adult in the film who refuses to bend to his will, proves to be the biology teacher; his only supporter is a gay classmate named Grisha (Aleksandr Gorchilin), who is madly in love with him. The film concludes with a homicidal explosion of anti-Semitism and homophobia the likes of which have never before been seen in a Russian film.

In addition to directing films, Serebrennikov is also a prominent theater director in Russia. The Gogol Center, his Moscow theater, is known as a bastion of artistic freedom and liberal values. At the end of August 2017, just over a year after The Student premiered at Cannes, Serebrennikov was placed under house arrest in what was widely perceived to be government payback for his theater’s progressive agenda. (He was charged with embezzlement of government funds.) Serebrennikov’s biography leaves no doubt about his own ethical and political commitments, and reviews of the film over the past year — overwhelmingly positive — did not fail to connect the story to Putin’s reintroduction of compulsory religious education into Russian public schools three years prior. Still, viewers might wonder why the director decided to give so much screen time to a reactionary and hateful position. Doubtless, Serebrennikov wanted to show how seductive religious fundamentalism can be, as well as how weak liberal institutions are against its onslaught. But he has succeeded all too well. Despite the horrific acts he commits, Venya’s energy, focus, and — dare I say, chutzpah — make him a far more compelling character than his materialistic and sex-crazed classmates, the conciliatory administrators, or the increasingly (and I wince as I write this) hysterical biology teacher. Like all coming-of-age stories since time immemorial, from Fanny Burney’s Evelina through J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist’s initiation into adulthood becomes an occasion for social critique; his or her (real or self-proclaimed) innocence becomes a device for revealing society’s hypocrisy. 

Graduation and Mustang, though far more straightforward, work in a similar way. Their young, female characters are the victims of violence rather than its perpetrators; their confrontation with adult society might be something that happens to them rather than something that they actively provoke, the way Venya does. But the confrontation still takes place, and it is inevitably violent. All of the films’ teenagers live with the constant threat of rape. Eliza is nearly raped, but manages to fight off her aggressor in the episode that sets off the chain of events in Graduation. In Mustang, the sisters must either submit to sex with a complete stranger when they are married off, or else suffer their uncle’s nighttime intrusions. [1] Finally, in The Student, we find not one but three instances of sexual violence. First, Venya himself is sexually aggressed by one of the girls he’s been taunting in school. Then, he falsely accuses the biology teacher of having touched him inappropriately in order to have her fired. In the end, Venya eventually catches on to the fact that his only “disciple” is sexually attracted to him, and flies into a violent rage. (“The student” is a poor translation of the Russian title, which is a pun on the words “disciple” and “martyr.”)

In this climate, where sex is brutal and virginity sacred, adults prove absent or ineffectual guides for the films’ pubescent figures. The idea of “bad parenting” then presents itself as a kind of accusatory metaphor for the failure of one generation — the one that lived through 1989 as adults — to construct a safer, gentler, and more stable world for their children. It is hard to determine, however, just how big of a claim each of these films wants to make about the society it is portraying. All three seem to be equally invested in conveying the texture of everyday life while reviving some of the least modern genres, those least amenable to realism: Graduation is a morality tale; Mustang, with its five princesses who must escape an evil ogre, a fairy tale; and The Student — that most Biblical of all genres, a parable. This formal choice might appear strange at first. Why choose genres defined by their very universality to tell stories that trade in historic and cultural particularity? Morality tales, fairy tales, and parables are, of course, known as instructional genres. More than that, however, all three are involved in the process of transmission, in the passing down of wisdom from one generation to the next. What better choice, then, to comment ironically on the intergenerational breakdown at the heart of all three films?

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If the generation that lived through 1989 as adults failed their biological children, so, too, Graduation implies, did the European Union fail its adoptive children — the most recent, Eastern European members. In this latter case, however, it was not a failure to provide something (more stable institutions, a stronger economy), so much as a failure to hold these countries accountable, to set up rules and boundaries that would help them overcome their “bad habits.” Consequently, the films demonstrate that the East/West divide persists both within the European Union, and beyond its borders.

Even if “Europe” has lost much of its luster, the “West” as a whole still remains an internal reference point, an organizing principle. These films address a Western audience, as any film hoping to attract critical attention on the festival circuit does. Tellingly, too, the characters all still speak from a position clearly identified as lying outside of the West. In Graduation, Romeo’s home, though situated in a communist building block, is filled with antiques that recall the time when Romania was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (and thus more a part of Europe). The soundtrack — all exclusively diegetic, coming from Romeo’s CDs or the radio — prominently features Handel. The “West” remains aspirational, something that has to do with a sense of harmony and peace, something that may be approached through art but that is still an “elsewhere.” Mustang and The Student, in turn, emphasize their position at the border of Europe. The seaside locations (the first takes place by the Black Sea, the latter by the Baltic Sea) already suggest a kind of liminality, which the dual identity of Istanbul/Constantinople and Kaliningrad/Königsburg further reinforces. [2] In The Student, the West is associated with the “cosmopolitan” (the old Stalinist code word for “Jewish”) teacher and her values: the power of reason, the equality of men and women, the importance of the division between church and state. In Mustang, the viewer finally lets out a sigh of relief, knowing the girls “have made it” only when we see them cross the Bosphorus, from the Asian to the European part of Istanbul.

The inevitable question the protagonists face is not, however, “Should I stay or should I go?” as it once was, but “Can I even get out?” The mobile camerawork reinforces the characters’ sense of frustration as they rove around highly contained spaces, be they a city (Graduation), a single home (Mustang), or a school (The Student). The sense of claustrophobia that emerges makes the viewers yearn for an Outside, but its existence is increasingly under question. The difficulty for these teens, we come to understand, lies both in disentangling themselves from the forces holding them back and a lack of faith in the destination.

Despite their structural and stylistic similarities, each of these films responds to the challenge differently. Mustang, perhaps because it was made by a director who herself grew up “outside,” in France, is (literally) the sunniest: not only do the two younger sisters make it to Istanbul, but we also do not worry about the fate that awaits them in the city. The girls are miraculously able to locate a “good fairy,” their former teacher, who welcomes them in with open arms. The Student, with its reappropriation of a German play, strongly implies that there is no Outside, that the forces of nationalism and religious fundamentalism that it depicts are latent in every society and may emerge at any moment. In Russia, perhaps, it has simply happened sooner or more easily. The film beseeches its viewers not to give up, to follow the biology teacher’s example as, in the final scene, she nails her shoes to the floor, proclaiming her right to stay in the school and, by extension, in present-day Russia. The attitude of Graduation is, perhaps, the most ambivalent. We understand perfectly why Romeo goes to such lengths to get his daughter to the United Kingdom, and we also admire her desire to stay. Graduation suggests that some dreams — even outdated ones — are simply too hard to give up on.

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I would like to thank Marijeta Božović for suggesting “bad parenting” as a playful term for the intergenerational dynamic here, and Victoria Baena for helping me think through the role of genre in these films.

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Masha Shpolberg is a PhD Candidate in the joint Comparative Literature and Film & Media Studies Program at Yale University. Her work focuses on Eastern European cinema and the evolution of documentary film form.

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[1] It should be noted that the film does offer two alternatives: one of the sisters manages to convince the family to marry her off to the boyfriend she loves, and Ece, before committing suicide, finds a (questionable) way to rebel and take charge of her body by inviting an unknown young man to have sex with her in the car while her uncle runs some errands.

[2] Recent Russian cinema in general seems to be quite interested in the question of provincial youth. Two other recent, successful films addressing this topic have taken place far away from Moscow: Nigina Saifullaeva’s Name Me in the Crimea (the film came out just before Russia annexed the peninsula), and Natalia Meshchaninova’s The Hope Factory in the industrial city of Norilsk, located in the Far North, above the Arctic circle. Both scripts were written by Liubov’ Mul’menko. The films came out in 2014.

The post Growing Up, East of Europe appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

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[londontheatre]

Joining the previously announced David Tennant who plays the title role, Adrian Scarborough as Stan and Gawn Grainger as Louis are Theo Barklem-Biggs (Pete), Mark Ebulué (Aloysius), Mark Extance (ensemble), David Jonsson (Col), Dominique Moore (Lottie), Emma Naomi (ensemble), Alice Orr-Ewing (Mattie and Ruby), Himesh Patel (Vagabond), Adrian Richards (ensemble), William Spray (ensemble), Danielle Vitalis (Elvira) and Eleanor Wyld (Dalia) who complete the cast for Patrick Marber’s Don Juan in Soho.

“Please don’t be charmed, he’s not a lovable rogue…” Loosely based on Molière’s tragicomedy ‘Don Juan’, this savagely funny and filthy modern update transports the action to contemporary London and follows the final adventures of its debauched protagonist – a cruel seducer who lives only for pleasure.

Rehearsals begin next week for the production which previews at Wyndham’s Theatre from 17 March 2017, with press night on 28 March 2017. Don Juan in Soho will complete its strictly limited eleven week run on 10 June 2017.

Direction is by Patrick Marber with set and costume designs by Anna Fleischle, lighting by Mark Henderson, compositions and sound by Adam Cork, video design by Dick Straker, movement by Polly Bennett and casting by Robert Sterne CDG.

[See image gallery at http://ift.tt/1FpwFUw] David Tennant (DJ) has worked extensively in theatre, television and film winning numerous awards for his work including the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance and the National Television Award for Outstanding Drama Performance. For the Royal Shakespeare Company his credits include Richard II, a role he reprised last year at the Barbican and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, As You Like It, The Herbal Bed, The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Labour’s Lost and the title role in Hamlet, as well as co-hosting the live broadcast of Shakespeare 400. Tennant was last in the West End playing Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. His film credits include What We Did On Our Holiday, The Decoy Bride, Fright Night, Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!, St Trinian’s II: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Bright Young Things, LA Without a Map and the forthcoming Mad To Be Normal, Fish Without Bicycles and Bad Samaritan. On television he is best known for playing the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC’s classic series Doctor Who. He is soon to appear in the third season of ITV’s award winning series Broadchurch and starred in the US version, Gracepoint. His other television credits include playing Kilgrave in Netflix’s Jessica Jones, and The Escape Artist, The Politician’s Husband, Spies of Warsaw and Casanova, all for the BBC.

Adrian Scarborough (Stan) was last on stage as The Fool in Sam Mendes’ production of King Lear at the National Theatre where his many credits also include After the Dance, The Habit of Art, Time and the Conways, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, The False Servant, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The David Hare Trilogy, The Day I Stood Still and The Wind in the Willows. In the West End his credits include Betty Blue Eyes and Humble Boy. He has also been seen in Hedda Gabler at The Old Vic, Platonov and Vassa for the Almeida Theatre Company and Accidental Death of an Anarchist and To The Green Fields Beyond for the Donmar. His film credits include On Chesil Beach, Les Misérables, The King’s Speech, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Notes on a Scandal, Vera Drake, Gosford Park, The History Boys, Bright Young Things, The Madness of King George and Dirty Pretty Things. Scarborough’s many television credits include two seasons of the US series Blunt Talk opposite Patrick Stewart, Stella, Crashing, Miranda, Up The Women, Professor Branestawm, Plebs, Edge of Heaven, Death in Paradise, The Paradise, Restless, Doctor Who, Mrs Biggs, Upstairs Downstairs, Gavin and Stacey, Cranford and Psychoville.

Gawn Grainger (Louis) was most recently on stage in The Entertainer for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company at the Garrick Theatre. His other theatre credits include The Cherry Orchard at the Young Vic, Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe and The Recruiting Officer at the Donmar as well as Onassis, Absolutely Perhaps and The Crucible all in the West End. For the National Theatre where he was part of Olivier’s South Bank inaugural season, his credits include Three Days in the Country, A Woman Killed With Kindness, Some Trace Of Her, Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, The Passion, The Seagull and The Misanthrope and at the Almeida he has been seen in No Man’s Land, Party Time, Mountain Language and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. His film credits include Blood Royal, A Christmas Carol and The Little Drummer Girl and on television Labyrinth, The Nativity, Big Deal, The Black Tower, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Darling Buds of May, Foyle’s War, Gentlemen and Players, Hail, Caesar!, Heart of the Country, A Helping Hand, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Macbeth, Man at the Top, Men Behaving Badly and Midsomer Murders.

Theo Barklem-Biggs’ (Pete) theatre credits include Les Liaisons Dangereuses for the Donmar and Chapel Street for the Bush theatre. His film credits include Journey’s End, The Greatest Man, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Inbetweeners Movie and the forthcoming Hunter Killer. His many television credits include Wasteman, Ballot Monkeys, Cradle to Grave, Tatau, Homeboys and Miranda.

Mark Ebulué’s (Aloysius) theatre credits include Macbeth for the Young Vic, Julius Caesar for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Phaedra’s Love for the Arcola and touring productions of Hamlet for Tara Arts and Othello for Frantic Assembly. His film credits include Kingsland, Dark Ascension and Way of the Monkey’s Claw. On television his credits include Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Doctor Who and Julius Caesar.

Mark Extance’s (ensemble) recent theatre credits include Correspondence at the Old Red Lion, Three Days in the Country, Scenes from an Execution, Travelling Light and London Assurance for the National Theatre, Pygmalion at The Old Vic and Yes, Prime Minister in the West End and on tour.

David Jonsson’s (Col) theatre credits include Mary Stuart for the Almeida Theatre, Pigeon English at Bristol Old Vic and the Edinburgh Fringe, Romeo and Juliet at the Riverside Studios and Ghosts for the Rose Theatre Bankside.

Dominique Moore (Lottie) is best known for playing Chanel O’Grady in Footballers Wives: Extra Time. Her other television credits include Murder in Successville, Quacks, Horrible Histories, Red Dwarf and PhoneShop. Her theatre credits include Gutted for Theatre Royal Stratford East, Aladdin for the Lyric Hammersmith and The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. Her film credits include First and The Physician.

Emma Naomi’s (ensemble) theatre credits include Deathwatch for the Print Room at The Coronet, The Crucible for Bristol Old Vic and This Man Right Here for the Hen and Chickens. On film she has been seen in House Girl.

Alice Orr-Ewing’s (Mattie and Ruby) theatre credits include An Enemy of the People for Chichester Festival Theatre and Hay Fever at Theatre Royal Bath and Duke of York’s Theatre. Her film credits include The Theory of Everything, Mr Turner, The Scapegoat and Atonement and on television she has been seen in Victoria, Oakfield, Pramface and Blandings.

Himesh Patel (Vagabond) played the role of Tamwar Masood in EastEnders for nine years. He was last on stage in Le Bossu at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Adrian Richards’ (ensemble) theatre credits include Wild Honey for Hampstead Theatre, The Suicide for the National Theatre and Advice for the Young at Heart for Theatre Centre. He has also performed in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Glyndebourne.

William Spray’s (ensemble) theatre credits include Hamlet, Twelfth Night and But a Dream for Sovereign Arts and Punk Rock for Pocketful Shows. His opera credits include The Indian Queen for English National Opera and Dido and Aeneas for Silent Opera. On film he has been seen in A Little Chaos.

Danielle Vitalis’ (Elvira) stage credits include Girls Like That for Synergy and Primetime at the Royal Court. Her film credits include Afro Punk Girl and Honeytrap and on television she has been seen in Youngers and The Riots: In Their Own Words.

Eleanor Wyld (Dalia) was last on stage in The Alchemist at the Royal Shakespeare Company where her credits also include Don Quixote and Doctor Faustus. Her film credits include Johnny English Reborn and Freestyle and on television her credits include Thirteen, Father Brown and Misfits.

Patrick Marber’s plays include Dealer’s Choice, After Miss Julie, Closer, Howard Katz, Three Days in the Country and The Red Lion. His film credits include Closer (directed by Mike Nichols), Notes on a Scandal (directed by Richard Eyre), Old Street and Love You More. For television his co-writing credits include The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You With Alan Partridge. In December last year Ivo van Hove directed Marber’s new version of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler for the National Theatre starring Ruth Wilson and Rafe Spall. As well as directing a number of his own plays, his other directing credits include Travesties by Tom Stoppard at the Menier Chocolate Factory, which transfers to the Apollo Theatre this month, The Caretaker at the Comedy Theatre, Blue Remembered Hills at the National Theatre, ‘1953’ by Craig Raine at the Almeida and The Old Neighbourhood by David Mamet at the Royal Court Theatre. His plays have won Evening Standard, Olivier, Time Out, New York and London Critics’ Circle and Writers’ Guild Awards. His TV work has received BAFTA, British Comedy and Royal Television Society Awards. His screenplays have been nominated for Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Awards. He received the British Independent Film Award for Notes on a Scandal.

Wyndham’s Theatre 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DA

Additional Information Age Restrictions: Not recommended for anyone under the age of 16 Booking From: 17th Mar 2017 Booking Until: 10th Jun 2017

http://ift.tt/2fJajpk LondonTheatre1.com