India, Sept. 30 -- For Theja Rio, the journey of "Angh" from the hills of Nagaland to the Toronto International Film Festival and now the Oscars is more than a personal milestone -- it is an opportunity to make the world understand a culture and a filmmaking community that has long remained on the margins.

"We don't want to be just showcased, we want to be understood. Hopefully, when 'Angh' comes out, a lot more people learn more about us and see the world in our perspective as well," the 31-year-old director told PTI in an interview.

The 103-minute film, set in Nagaland in the 1960s and shot on 16mm, won the Platform prize at TIFF, opening the door for its qualification in the best international feature category at the Oscars. The Kony...