The 70-year-old Laibi Devi founded the club 22 years ago.
Andro Dreams is a documentary depicting the inspirational journey of an all-women football club in Manipur.
The renowned Manipuri filmmaker Meena Longjam’s documentary Andro Dream will be opening the non-feature section at the ongoing 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The documentary highlights the journey of an all-women football club which is situated in the remote corner in Imphal East District. The documentary focuses on the inspirational journey of AMMA FC Club in the Andro town of Imphal district.
The inspirational journey of this women’s football club in the background of ethnic violence in the northeastern state has won the hearts of movie critics and viewers. The 70-year-old Laibi Devi founded this club 22 years ago.
Meena Longjam shared her happiness with the selection of her film as an opening act of the non-feature section at IFFI 2023. While talking to the media, the director said that she hopes her film will act as an inspiration for other girls in the small villages of Manipur to dream big.
“Andro Dreams is the love story of Laibi, an old woman with a spirited soul and her three-decade-old all-girls football club battling economic challenges, the patriarchal system and orthodoxy at Andro,” Meena Longjam said. The Manipur filmmaker followed the AMMA FC club for six years to understand the players of the team and its founder’s philosophy of respect and fair play.
Laibi Devi’s spirit of simplicity and dignity is beautifully shown in the documentary. “Play respectfully, then only you will become famous. Even when opponents attack you, don’t scream or fight,” says Laibi Devi.
A total of 25 feature and 20 non-feature will screened at IFFI which began on November 20. It will continue till November 28. Other films of the regional filmmakers have also been selected for screening a IFFI 2023. Waribam Dorendra Singh’s movie Last Meet is one of them. The Malayalam film Aattam has been chosen as the opening movie for the feature film section.
Meena Longjam has won many awards in her decade-long career in filmmaking. Before this, her documentary Auto Drivers also grabbed the headlines in 2015. It showcased the struggles of Imphal’s first female auto-rickshaw driver.
