Cave Story - Phlangwanbroi Village: Pynhunlang Wanniang 2nd trip 2025-02-06 (DSLR, Canon EOS 200D II)
Director: Pynhunlang Wanniang, Manisha Halai; Cinematographer: Pynhunlang Wanniang
Duration: 00:28:08; Aspect Ratio: 1.778:1; Hue: 29.317; Saturation: 0.509; Lightness: 0.006; Volume: 0.103; Cuts per Minute: 1.528
Summary: GreenHub Fellows: Pynhunlang Wanniang & Manisha Halai
Fellowship Film: JALABIT - The Cave of Spirits
For Pynhunlang, the caves beneath his village are more than stone and water—they are sacred guardians, resonating with memory, mystery, and meaning. This film follows his personal journey as a young man from a village in Meghalaya, situated above the Jalabit cave, where five to six caves lie hidden among forested hills. Unlike most villagers, who see these caves as dark voids or convenient dumping grounds, Pynhun has always felt a profound spiritual connection to them—shaped by childhood adventures, quiet awe, and a sense of responsibility.
Though he has no formal training in geology or cave science, Pynhun has been learning from fellow batchmates and cave conservationists. He is optimistic about a future where Phlangwanbroi embraces responsible tourism and local stewardship. Despite resistance from parents and villagers—who fear divine punishment from residing goddesses or dismiss the caves’ value—Pynhun envisions a path that protects these natural wonders for future generations.
The film captures not only the physical beauty of Meghalaya’s caves but also the emotional and cultural tensions surrounding conservation, tradition, and change. Pynhunlang’s Cave Story is a tale of quiet rebellion, spiritual resilience, and the possibility of reimagining home—not as something to be used, but as something to be honored and preserved.
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An interview with the village headman.
Interview
Phlangwanbroi Village, East Khasi, Meghalaya
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An interview with the village man.
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Cleanliness Drive
Jalabit Cav
Plastic waste
The village youths are cleaning plastic waste from the Jalabit Cave.
Village youths
Waste Management
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An interview with an elderly man about village Cave.
Interview
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Cave Exploration
Cave Trekking
Community People
Pynhunlang and his friends are exploring the Jalabit Cave.
Bat Cave
Cultural Heritage
Village Cave
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Cave Stream
General shots of the Cave stream.
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A prawn is crawling in the pond water.
Cave River
Freshwater Prawn
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Cave Stream
General shots of the Cave stream.
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Cave Filming
Cave Interior
Dripping water runs down from the walls to the cave floor.
Natural Cave Formation
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Cave Curtain
Cave Curtains - A Curtain is a calcite formation in the form of a folded sheet hanging from the wall of a cave.
Cave Decorations
Cave Formations
Sandstone Cave
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Cave ceiling
Cave Interior
Mineral Deposit
Natural Cave Formation
Rock Formation
Stalagmite
Stalagmites – Icicle-shaped mineral formations found inside caves.Stalagmites grow upward from the cave floor, it's formed through the slow deposition of minerals from dripping water.
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Bat Cave
Cave Exploration
Cave Trekking
Community People
Cultural Heritage
Pynhunlang and his friends are exploring the Jalabit Cave.
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity shot.
Identification: Unidentified
Insect Bat
Mammal
Wildlife
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