Wagah
13 min. short documentary, 2009 D: Supriyo Sen
Each night the only crossing on the 3000km border between India and Pakistan becomes the site of an extraordinary event. Thousands of people gather to witness the ritual closing of the border, after which the masses get as close as possible to the gate to greet their former neighbors. This ritual is therefore both a celebration of the partition and the only chance of a connection with the other side.
The challenge of my job was to combine the perspective of three children with the very rhythmical footage of the flag lowering ceremony and, through the synthesis of these elements, to achieve a statement about separation, home and proximity.
Wagah premiered at the Berlinale in 2009, won more than 50 awards (amongst which the German Oscar, the LOLA and the Film+ Award for best Film Editing) and was screened at 250 festivals worldwide (Sundance, Karlovy Vary, HotDocs, Sydney, etc.)