# Fireflies (2018 film)

Fireflies is a 2018 Indian Meitei language documentary short film, directed by Johnson Rajkumar. It portrays the struggles of the Meira Paibis to protect the people from crimes in Manipur state, and the role of women in the conflicting and male-dominated society of Manipur. It looks at how the gender gap and gender identities are settled during times of conflict and violence in the society.
The film shows women reacting to the rising cases of disappearance of men. This took place after the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was applied to Manipur state. The important point of the movie is that women stand up for the safety, security and better survival of the men.

## Plot

In 1980s, when Manipur was exposed to revolutionaries and armed violence, a group of women came out to the streets to uphold peace in the state. These groups were called the Meira Paibis. They were the freely independent women's organisations. They participated in the willing patrols during the night. They held the flaming torches and tried to bring balance in the society.

## Background

In India, women are mostly seen to be confined in their homes. In reality, they are the important members of every social movement. But they are always seen as not related. Women of Manipur contributed a lot towards the welfare of the social conditions. This really inspired Johnson Rajkumar, the maker of the "Fireflies".
He tried to show the influence of gender roles in conflicts and violence. If men were holding such responsibilities, they would have been falsely grouped into rebels. According to Johnson, the movie shows that women's collective has more to do beyond pro-feminists.
Rajkumar went to Bangalore for higher education. There, he realised that the issues from Manipur and the North East India were not truly represented or interpreted in the national media news. Hence, he created the "Fireflies" to fight the set false stories. He wanted to show the best formal true facts.

## Production

The film is financially supported by the "Samaj Pragati Sahayog", a social media platform based in Madhya Pradesh, India. Additionally, it is supported by the "Film Division of India".
Rajkumar is the director of the movie and a Manipuri media activist. He lives in Bangalore, Karnataka. He has been making documentary movies on social and political issues. He focuses on social movements and protests.

## Accolades and recognition

The film won many awards in international film festivals. These were held in different countries of the world.

### Awards

| Awards | Category | Results |
| Arthouse Asia International Film Festival, Kolkata (2018) | Best Short Documentary | Won |
| Chennai International Short Film Festival, Chennai (2018) | 2nd place in Best Short Documentary | Won |

### Official selection

| Film Festivals | Venues | Year |
| 3rd Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival | Frankfurt, Germany | 2018 |
| Balkan Can Kino | Athens, Greece | 2018 |
| Frames Film Festival | Mumbai, India | 2018 |
| National Documentary and Short Film Festival | Thrissur, Kerala | 2018 |
| Art and Imphal Festival | Imphal, Manipur | 2018 |
| International Film Festival "Cinema and You" | Mariupol, Ukraine | - |
| Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival | Kathmandu, Nepal | 2019 |
| Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival | Mumbai, India | - |
| Davis Feminist Film Festival | California | - |
| Culture Diversity and Peace Short Film Festival | Dhaka, Bangladesh | 2019 |
| Human Rights Short Film Festival | Dhaka, Bangladesh | - |