Notice from Nepal Film Forum

The following movies from Nepal can be borrowed by a member from the Swiss-Nepalese Society:

 1. Kamaiya (Parts 1 and 2):

• Documentary film in 2 parts, Nepali with English subtitles

This film traces the history of the long struggle of the Kamaiyas to break out of their bondage.

• Part 1 (length: 32 min) entitled "Bonded for Generations" shows the events leading to the official abolition of the Kamaiya system on 17 July 2000. The Nepalese government was finally forced to acknowledge that the Kamaiya system was an illegal practice, as it violated the Nepalese constitution. The Kamaiyas were thus declared to be free.
• Part 2 (length: 40 min) entitled "Unfinished Revolution" looks into the tragic situation of the freed Kamaiyas, who were evicted by their landlords. With no means for livelihood, they ended up in various refugee camps in west Nepal waiting for resettlement. This documentary shows the tragic situation of these desperately poor freed Kamaiyas, many of whom are still struggling to get the promised land from the Nepalese government.

 2.  In Search of the Riyal

• Documentary film, 2009, 86 min, Nepali with English subtitles

This film depicts the lives of Nepalese working in Qatar to support their families back home. It explores the lure of going abroad and the enormity of the journey and exposes the harsh realities confronting the Nepalese workers there, rarely captured on film due to the Gulf state's sensitivity to scrutiny of their labour practices.

 3. Hami kuna ko maanche "We corner people"

• Documentary film, 50 min, Nepali with English subtitles

Foot trails are sometimes the only link between people in Nepal's hills. Monsoon-fed rivers often cut these fragile links.  In the last few decades, a few thousand trail bridges have been built by local communities with the support of the Nepalese government and Helvetas. Now, a bridge comes to a remote Tamang village in Rasuwa District. These people call themselves Hami kuna ko maanche (We corner people). No settlement lies beyond their high hills. The poorest among them are sub-subsistence; there is no electricity, and not a single shop. When development comes to such a remote place, there is bound to be conflict. Eliciting peoples' participation to empower them when the community is too poor to help itself represents a huge challenge.

 4. On the road with the red god Machhendranath

• Documentary film, 72 min, Nepali with English subtitles

This film explores the complex human interactions that lie beneath the surface of the ancient chariot festival of the deity Rato Machhendranath in the Kathmandu Valley. Instead of exotic, idealized depictions of tradition, this film takes us into an arena of gritty reality, where conflict or solidarity can prevail. This film was adjudged the best documentary in Nepal of the last 10 years by the Nepal Motion Pictures Association in 2005.

 5. Gurkha Blues

• Documentary film, 29 min, 1999, English

For over two centuries, Gurkha soldiers have been serving Great Britain in numerous wars, becoming renowned for their bravery. While the Gurkhas are often pictured as a showpiece of the British Army, Gurkhas charge that their contribution is trivialized by their unequal treatment.

 6. Schools in the Crossfire

• Documentary film, 52 min, 2004, English

Schools in Nepal were an easy target of the Maoists and the state during the civil war years. The film examines the impact of the war on teachers and students. The government suspected them of being on the Maoists' side while the Maoists accused them of spying for the state.

 7. Himalaya Caravan

• Feature film, first Oscar nominated movie from Nepal, 104 min, Tibetan with English subtitles

In a far-flung village in the Dolpo, in the North-Western Himalayas, at an altitude of five thousand meters, Tinle, a charismatic old chieftain, whose eldest son has just died, refuses to allow the young Karma to lead the yak caravan. Karma goes against the oracles and Tinle's anger; before the ritual date, he leads the caravan away followed by the young men from the village. On the day fixed by the gods Tinle, assisted by his second son Norbu the Lama, his grandson and his old companions decides against all reason to set off in his turn. Then, the ancestral duel between man and mountain begins.

 8. Kagbeni

• Feature film, 2008, 130 min, Nepali with English subtitles

The name of the movie is taken from a tourist place Kagbeni situated in the Kali Gandaki valley, about 2-hour walk from Muktinath. The film received mostly glowing reviews from critics. The Himalayan Times hailed it as "a benchmark for Nepali films."
Upon returning to his village after a long spell in Malaysia, Krishna travels to a neighboring village with his childhood friend Ramesh. On their journey, they encounter a hermit who returns Krishna's kindness with a strange gift — a monkey's paw that will grant your wish. Unaware of its ominous powers, Ramesh makes a wish. Thus begins the journey of betrayal and revenge.