f Questions begin Where the Clouds End: Ethnic identity and the documentary ‘Voice’

I interviewed Wanphrang Diengdoh about his most recent film, Where the Clouds End, in Shillong on the 15th of August 2014. This day is not only nationally significant but also politically fraught in north-east India. ‘Dissident’ outfits call for bandhs to protest against the Indian state while the regional state machinery mobilizes citizens to celebrate the day and defy the bandhs. Unlike earlier years, when people silently allied with the dissidents by remaining indoors, this time round there was public movement, even celebration, as restaurants offered reduced price menus and concerts were held in public squares. As the sun went down and dusk crept up over the hills and into the city, we gathered around my tape recorder. Clutching mugs of Sharawn tea, a delicately flavoured Khasi variety that is yet to be discovered by the rest of the world, we exchanged stories and discussed complex ideas. This article is based on that wide ranging conversation as well as my critical appraisal of the film.