Brigni Bibal (2026)

The siblings, Peter(6) and Chingbia(9) belong to a Mandi community. Their mother has recently passed away. Chingbia, the sister takes care of the house like their mother used to do. During school time, Peter roams around the forest and discovers the secrets of the nature.

As per Mandi’s matrilineal customs, husband need to remarry if his wife dies otherwise his children will be taken away by maternal relatives. Their father, Polison (29) a newly elected village council member is extremely busy with public service work; he also does extensive cash crop farming to make ends meet. Cash crops like pineapples are grown in abundant in his villages using chemical-heavy fertilizers and pesticides. ‘Modernization’ is transforming Mandi community as witnessed by the wise woman, still some of their customs and beliefs remain.

One day, while Peter and his sister sit by a lake inside the forest, he picks up an empty plastic bottle of soft drink floating on the water. Meanwhile, their father buys pesticides in a cola bottle from market for spraying on pineapple and hastily leaves the shopping bag with the bottle in the house. The siblings return from the forest and are delighted to see the ‘cola’ bottle.