Pranami Koch

Biography

Pranami Koch is a queer, indigenous multimedia artist, designer and filmmaker interested in the politics of gender and identity, she draws inspiration from her lived and borrowed experiences with a keen interest in archiving and the extensions of memory and intimacy. Her debut film as a director "The Flow of Resilience (Boi Thaka)" which is also her graduation project at the National Institute of Design had its world premiere at the International Documentary Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) in 2024 and was recently selected at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF). "Echoes Within (Koro Gochongni)" her second short documentary is selected at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in shorts competition, 2024. Her visual research work on the digital presence of the HIjra community in Guwahati on popular social media apps like MX Takatak, Instagram, and TikTok, titled "Sinaki Osinaki (The Known Unknown)", received the Zubaan Sasakawa Peace Foundation Grants for Young Researchers from North-East in 2021-2022. She was part of an archival residency in the same year hosted by Northeast Network in collaboration with Northeast Lightbox, where she examined the visuality of news reportage on violence against women, especially witch hunting that is prevalent in remote Assam. In addition to filmmaking, one of her recent endeavors includes conceptualizing and researching an interactive zine titled "Myra's Choice", aimed at educating young adults about safe abortion and sexual and reproductive rights. This project was undertaken as part of the SAFE fellowship under The YP Foundation. She is currently working on her project "What Would it Mean to See a Cobra in a Dream?", recipient of the Zubaan Young Researcher's Grant 2023-2024. This short documentary film follows a young girl named Munu, who strives to fulfill her mother's dream while confronting her fears and aspirations in a society mired in superstitions, where her mother had been accused of being a witch. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she finds joy in cooking and gardening as outlets for self-expression. In her spare moments, you'll likely find her tending to her cherished collection of plants.