The Indian film ‘The Elysian Field’ opens Cinemalaya XXI with a poignant story about how the modern world is slowly wiping away small villages and what that looks like. This slice-of-life story gives us a peak at a secluded village in Meghalaya in the northeastern region of India. The village has only six inhabitants left and their lives are completely intertwined.
The film opens with Livingstone (Albert Mawrie), who is coming home on a bus with the coffin of his recently deceased wife, Belinda. As he arrives, the three remaining men of the village – Complete (Richard Kharpuri), Promise (Merlvin Mukhim), and Friday (Jeetesh Sharma) – help carry the coffin down across a huge field, two bridges, a hill, and further along back to their secluded village. There they are joined by Maia (Baia Marbanjang) and Miss Helen (Helen Duiia), Livingstone’s mother. Over the course of the film, we see how life fares in this empty town that is surprisingly filled with life. We see them struggle with electricity, gossip about each other, a romance begins to bloom, and the spectre of death hangs above them in their little village filled with empty houses and ruins.
Written by Paulami Duttagupta and directed by Pradip Kurbah, the film immerses us in a world that is slowly fading away. Set against the gorgeous Meghalaya landscape, we are transported to a place seemingly beyond time and geography. To be able to resupply, the villagers must take the one and only bus back to the city (of which there are no scenes) and the impression is given that this is a whole day affair. The rest of the time is spent living out their days in the empty village, cooking food for each other, drinking at nights, and living truly as one community.
There are story elements that pop up: Belinda’s children from before her marriage to Livingstone are contesting her will and Livingstone must deal with the litigation and go to the city every now and then, Complete is fighting with the government for not providing service to their tiny village, Promise must continue to fix every issue involving electricity and electronics, while Maia finds herself wooed by some of the men in the village.
But none of these take center stage in the story. These are just activities in the lives of the people of this secluded little town, and the film manages to show us this burst of live despite the fact that it is also dying right in front of us. There’s no future here. At some points, the men begin to dig graves for all of the inhabitants so that it wouldn’t be left to the women if the men died first. But while the threat of extinction hangs above them, they are just filled with life.
It’s a gorgeous movie once you allow its languid, almost dreamlike pace to sink in. The way by which this small community engages with one another is very Filipino in spirit and in values. It’s a love letter, for sure, to a way of life that is slowly disappearing and while this may be a Northeastern Indian issue, this could very well be a small town in Northern Luzon or in the mountains of Mindanao. While being inherently Meghalayan in culture, the way director Pradib Kurbah puts it in his camera frame makes it utterly universal.
The performances are exquisite, with Marbanjang being the heart and soul of this ensemble. Her warmth is the center of which the community revolves around. The acting is so natural, so subtle and layered. It makes the film poignant and funny all at the same time.
The Elysian Field is showing on the big screen! Check cinema showtimes near you and grab your tickets today!
This year, don’t miss Cinemalaya 21: LAYAG sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos happening from October 3-12, 2025! Witness another stellar lineup of stories that will move you and showcase the brilliance of Philippine cinema. Follow the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya for updates!
