Manipur’s WWII documentary ‘Battlefield’ to make world premiere at IFFI Goa

Imphal, Nov 8: A stirring story from Manipur has made its way to one of the country’s most prestigious film festivals. Filmmaker and journalist Borun Thokchom’s documentary Battlefield has been officially selected for the Indian Panorama section of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting announced.

Selected among 20 non-feature films and 25 feature entries for the Indian Panorama 2025, Battlefield stands out as a powerful, place-rooted story of memory, loss, and identity from India’s North East.

Produced by Manjoy Lourembam, Dr. Radhesyam Oinam, and Viswamithra Universals, Battlefield is a deeply evocative documentary that revisits World War II’s lasting impact on Manipur; a region that witnessed some of the fiercest battles in the Eastern theatre.

Through the voices of survivors and descendants, the film contrasts the global remembrance of war heroes with the painful silence surrounding Manipur’s continuing humanitarian wounds.

A decade in the making, Battlefield is anchored by the expertise of war historian Rajeshwor Yumnam, whose research lends the film authenticity and emotional depth.

Notably, the documentary was incubated at Imphal Documentor, a 2022 project development lab organised by the Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS), the Documentary Resource Initiative (DRI), Kolkata, and the Television Cine Foundation Manipur; a collaboration that helped shape the film’s structure and storytelling approach.

Thokchom, known for his journalistic and documentary work, once again spotlights Manipur’s untold narratives.

As IFFI 2025 unfolds in Goa from November 20 to 28, Battlefield promises to be one of the festival’s most emotionally resonant premieres, marking a moment of pride for Manipuri cinema and its storytellers.

The film will make its world premiere on November 22, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at INOX – Audi II, Old GMC Building, Campal, Panjim.