Mother Teresa International Film Festival kicks off in Shillong

Meghalaya today celebrated Mother Teresa's sainthood with a four day Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF) 2016 here.The MTIFF 2016 celebrates the canonisation of Mother Teresa and the festival concludes on September 9 here before moving to Jowai from September 14 to 17.

Films, documentaries and short films showcasing the life and work of Saint Teresa of Kolkata would be screened at the festival.

In Shillong, the festival opened with the film 'Mother Teresa and Me' made by noted photographer and film maker Gautam Lewis.Governor V Shanmuganathan in his inaugural address said Mother Teresa represents the message of love, peace, enduring strength, hope and service to the world at large.

Understanding the pain of others is no easy task, he said



adding, Mother Teresa understood the pain of acute poverty."She served the destitute... the poorest of the poor and the downtrodden. Because she understood their pain, she was a solace, a helping hand and a source of comfort to them," he said.

Arch Bishop Dominic Jala said for a multifaceted person like Saint Teresa of Kolkata, no one film or book could totally capture who she was and what she did.

"We in the society today long for many things. There are many social evils amidst us," he said adding, "it is up to us to carry forward her legacy and for that we need to recognise the dignity of life."

The inaugural function was further adorned by song and dance performances by students of city schools depicting the life and work of Mother Teresa.