India, Jan. 3 -- A haunting vision of survival from the Khasi Hills opened the 11th Jaffna International Cinema Festival on December 30, as Meghalaya filmmaker Pradip Kurbah's acclaimed film "Ha Lyngkha Bneng - The Elysian Field" premiered at the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre.

Set in 2047, the Khasi-language film imagines a world where only six villagers remain in a remote settlement. Against the backdrop of depopulation and isolation, Kurbah explores how memory, loss, and shared bonds sustain a community.

The dystopian drama has already earned significant international recognition. At the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival, it won three awards, including the Golden St. George for Best Film and dual honours for Kurbah as Be...