Some films are special not only for their stories, but also for their place in a country’s history. Filmmaker Bijukumar Damodaran’s Papa Buka is an example, becoming Papua New Guinea’s first Oscar entry. Actor Ritabhari Chakraborty considers herself lucky to have been part of the film. “I didn’t know much about Papua New Guinea before. When I landed there, I remember the locals welcoming me, dancing and singing at the airport because they were excited that a film representing them would be made. In that moment, I realised it’s so much bigger than just a film. It’s a nation’s history,” she says.

A still from ‘Papa Buka’