Dea Kulumbegashvili’s sophomore feature April pulled off a stunning double win at the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). The gripping drama took home the APSA for Best Film, with the APSA for Best Performance going to Ia Sukhitashvili (pictured, below) for her deeply personal portrayal of a Georgian Ob Gyn providing women’s health services.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards honours the cinematic excellence of 78 countries and areas of the Asia Pacific, and films that best reflect their cultural origins and the diversity of the vast region.
In a strong year for women’s stories, the International Jury awarded its Grand Prize to All We Imagine as Light (pictured, right), the acclaimed second feature from India’s Payal Kapadia. The Prize, selected at the discretion of the jury, was awarded to this story of two working-class nurses amidst the nocturnal landscape of Mumbai.
Best Youth Film also goes to a female director from India, Lakshmipriya Devi for Boong, the heartwarming story of a young boy in remote Manipur who goes on an adventure to reunite his family.
The APSA for Best Animated Film has been won by The Missing (Iti Mapukpukaw, Philippines). The film, a groundbreaking adult sci-fi animation, is a personal tale from director Carl Joseph Papa who accepted the award on the night.
Best Documentary Film was won by No Other Land (Palestine, Norway), directed as a group by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham, and giving their perspective on the violence and destruction surrounding them.
Georgian director Tato Kotetishvili was awarded Best Director for his debut feature, the dark comedy Holy Electricity (Georgia, Netherlands), which sees cousins selling neon crucifixes door to door in Tbilisi, in a cinematic ode to the city and its people.
From Türkiye, the tense legal thriller Hesitation Wound (Tereddüt Çizgisi; Türkiye, Spain, Romania, France) has seen writer/director Selman Nacar win for Best Screenplay for his second feature, the story of a fiercely intelligent female defence attorney facing mounting professional, personal and moral challenges.
Winning Best Cinematography is French cinematographer Michaël Capron (Blue Is the Warmest Colour) for Mongrel, the contemplative Taiwanese drama that puts the unseen life of an undocumented Thai carer in the spotlight.
And New Zealand’s prolific producer, actor and former APSA winner Cliff Curtis was the recipient of the prestigious FIAPF Award, determined by Federation of Film Producers Associations, and awarded for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region. “My heart is filled with gratitude for the privilege of working alongside the artists, collaborators and mentors whose works have made this award possible,” said Curtis.
The three previously announced winners were all in attendance to accept their awards: Neo Sora received APSA’s Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC for Happyend and Nepali director Min Bahadur Bham accepted the Cultural Diversity Award for Shambhala. Georgia’s Data Chachua accepted his APSA for Best New Performer for Panopticon (trailer, above), a film which also stars APSA Best Performance winner Ia Sukhitashvili.
At the turn of the century, filmmaking in Armenia was all but impossible due to the war torn countryside. In a short space of time, two horrific events impacted the population – the indiscriminate massacre of christian Armenians by Ottoman forces from 1894-96, and the horrific 1914-15 genocide of Armenian nationals by the Turkish rulers, a slaughter that resulted in over 1million Armenian deaths.
Through this period, as silent cinema was taking the world by storm, the besieged people of Armenia were in no state to make or screen films. The one truly landmark film that addressed the Armenian experience was Ravished Armenia (a.k.a. Auction of Soles), a 1919 American film directed by Oscar Apfel, based upon the autobiography of its leading lady, Arshaluys Mardiganian. The film became an international sensation for its shocking depiction of the horrors of the genocide, included the flogging of Armenian women and their nude crucifixion.
On April 16, 1923, the establishment of the Armenian State Committee on Cinema (or ‘Goskino’) represented a bold statement by the ruling Soviet government. Young Russian filmmakers such as Hamo Bek-Nazaryan, Patvakan Barkhudaryan, Levon Kalantar and Amasi Martirosyan forged a distinctive Armenian cinema with films such as the melodrama Namus (1925; pictured, right); the epics Zare (1927) and Khaspush (1928); and, the comedies Shor And Shor-Shor (1926), Mexican Diplomats (1932) and Kikos (1931). The first feature-length Armenian documentary was produced in this period, I. Kraslavsky’s pro-Soviet 1924 work Soviet Armenia, focussing on the nation’s reconstruction in the wake of World War I.
By the late 1920’s, the full-scale studio Armenkino is in operation and the first ‘talkie’, Hamo Bek-Nazaryan’s drama Pepo (1935; pictured, below right) is a hit both domestically and abroad. But for much of the 1930s and 1940s, Armenian filmmaking stagnates. The totalitarian regime strictly controls the content of all art during this period; film output is reduced, with the rare local releases primarily examining the history of conflict of the region (Zangezur, 1938; David-Bek, 1944; and, Aleksandr Dovzhenko’s documentary Native Country, 1945).
It would not be until the mid 1950’s that Armenian cinema began producing independent, ambitious films. The ‘bigscreen epic’ returned, usually centred on such figures as Simon Arshaki Ter-Petrosian, a.k.a. ‘Kamo’; his heroics were depicted in such films as Erazm Karamyan and Stepan Kevorkov’s Personally Known (1958), the first of a trilogy of films about the Bolshevik revolutionary. Artashes Hay-Artyan’s Northern Rainbow (1960) was an early example of a braver political voice in Armenian cinema with its depiction of the 1828 Russian-Persian war and the activities of Russian writer Alexander Griboedov.
A decisive, strong Armenian cinema emerges more fully in the 1960’s, when short filmmakers undertook often incendiary statements about the ruling government. Avdo’s Car, a short that boldly interprets Soviet policies and actions while in power, is censored and forbidden from public screenings; Broken Promise, Tzhvzhik, Fired Lever and The Master And The Servant rile authorities but inspire artists and intellectuals.
Soon, features are embracing the notion that Armenia has suffered ‘between the hammer and the anvil’ in local conflicts - Khoren Abrahamyan’s Brother Saroyans (1969), Grigori Melik-Avakyan’s Seven Songs About Armenia (1967), Henrik Malyan’s We and Our Mountains (1969) and Laert Vagharshyan’s documentary Martiros Saryan (1965) all depict a strong, brave nation defying the impact on its borders of its warring neighbours.
The most important filmmaker in Armenian cinema history came from this period – Sergey Parajanov (pictured, right). Having broken free of the systemic control of Armenian cinema with his 1965 film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, he exploded onto the world stage with his groundbreaking film The Color Of Pomegranate (1969), a re-edit of his previously banned feature Sayat Nova. However, following its breakout success, Parajanov was persecuted by Soviet officials for his pronounced bisexuality and subversive art and would ultimately serve four years in jail, despite global efforts to free him led by such notables as Yves Saint Laurent, Françoise Sagan, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni and Andrei Tarkovsky. Parajanov would not direct another feature until The Legend of Suram Fortress, in 1985.
Infrastructure serving Armenia’s film industry receives funding through the 1970s, with both Armenfilm and the Studio of Documentary Films opening state-of-the-art studio space in Yerevan. Armenian cinema of the period expands its narratives, offering social realism (Arman Manaryan’s Our Daily Water, 1976) and the growth of homegrown comedy (Edmond Keosayan’s The Men, 1973; Nerses Hovhannisyan’s Bride of the North, 1975; Dmitri Kesayants’ The Soldier and the Elephant, 1978, and A Man From Olympus, 1976).
As societal pressures stabilize and the economy grows, so to does Armenian cinema. The 1980s launched with Sergey Israyelyan's drama Gikor (1982; pictured, right), based upon Hovhannes Tumanyan's oft-told tale of a boy’s coming-of-age hardships (it was previously filmed in 1934). The decade solidified the reputation of such talents as Albert Mkrtchyan (The Good Half of Life, 1979; The Song of the Old Days, 1982; The Tango of Our Childhood, 1985), leading to the confident emergence of new talents in the 1990s. The reputation of the sector was at an all-time high thanks to such works as Harutyun Khachatryan’s Wind of Forgetfulness (1989) and Mikael Dovlatian’s Labyrinth (1996).
Armenia is not a sector that is booming but it is an industry with strong advocacy and support from the global sector. Modern filmmakers such as Harutyun Khachatryan (Return Of The Poet, 2005), Ruben Kochar (Metamorphoses, 2008), Vardan Hovhannisyan (A Story Of People In War And Peace, 2007), Arshakyan Yelena (An Uninterrupted Flight (2015), Sarik Andreasyan (The Earthquake, 2016), Mger Mkrtchyan (The Line, 2016), Darya Shumakova (Coming Home, 2018) and Alexey Zlobin (Lorik, 2018) are duly respected in their homeland and abroad; comedy is popular with domestic audiences, with Gor Kirakosian’s US co-production Lost and Found in Armenia (2012) and Arman Marutyan’s Super Mother films (2015, 2017) both doing big business.
Sadly, the heart of the Armenfilm production sector has been neglected. The Armenfilm Studios have fallen into disrepair, the 100 year-old facility moribund after private ownership and planned revitalisation projects have failed. A film has not been shot there in over ten years. In March 2019, ownership of the Yerevan site was transferred to a trust company called ‘Kinoket Productions’; the Minister of Economic Development and Investments, Tigran Khachatryan said that over the next 3.5 years, Kinoket will invest 2.5 million euros in the national film company.
Hopefully, a new wave in Armenian film production is not far away…
KEY EVENT: Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival – Yerevan, Armenia; July. Presented each year under the theme, ‘Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations. From the website: “Years of passion and love for cinema resulted in the establishment of Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in 2004. Before then, it was just a dream in three people’s minds - Harutyun Khachatryan, Film Director and Festival General Director; Mikayel Stamboltsyan, Film Critic and Program Director; and Susanna Harutyunyan, Film Critic and Artistic Director. The festival's name refers to the fruit native to Armenia, whose Latin name is ‘prunus аrmeniaсa,’ or ‘the Armenian plum.’ A popular symbol of the country, the warm colour of apricot is even found on the tricolored national flag.” CONTACT: 3 Moskovyan Str., 0001, Yerevan. Tel/Fax: 10 52 10 42 (62) Em: info@gaiff.am ; Web: http://www.gaiff.am
INDUSTRY: Armenian National Cinematheque 25A Tbilisyan Highway, 375052 Yerevan Tel: +374-10-28 54 06 Em: filmadaran@yahoo.com
(All effort has been made to ensure content is comprehensive and accurate at time of publication. No claim to ownership on any visual material; please contact the site directly with issues regarding copyright for immediate resolution)
The 12thAsia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) ceremony proved a true celebration of cinema from the region, with awards being bestowed upon films from Australia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore and Turkey. The gala ceremony, held in the main room of the The Brisbane Exhibition & Convention Centre, was hosted by New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis (Once Were Warriors; Whale Rider, The Meg) and Australian television personality Sofie Formica (pictured, below).
Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku) can now add an APSA to its list of growing international trophies after winning the Best Film honour. Having earned the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or in May and already slated as Japan’s official entry in the Best Foreign Film Oscar race, the prolific filmmaker’s family drama is proving to be one of the most warmly received films in a career filled with critical and commercial hits. The film’s producer Taguchi Hijiri accepted the award on his director’s behalf.
APSA International Jury President Alexander Rodnyansky, Russian producer of 2014 APSA Best Feature Film winner Leviathan, said, “We have had the great fortune to be presented with a unique line up of films that represent the different countries, cultures and talents of our region. I have discovered new worlds by watching them.” On the Best Film winner, he declared, “Shoplifters turns an intimate story about an unusual family into a metaphorical social analysis that is relevant not only for Japan, but everywhere.”
Rodnyansky (second from left) oversaw a jury that included (from left) Chilean actress Antonia Zegers, Indonesian director Nia Dinata, Nepalese filmmaker Deepak Rauniyar and Georgian producer Vladimer Katcharava. They awarded this year’s Grand Jury Prize to Lee Joon-dong and Lee Chang-dong for Burning (Republic of Korea), winner of the Cannes FIPRESCI Prize in 2018. The Korean filmmaking team is popular with APSA judges, having previously earned four awards. The unmistakable trophies, designed by Brisbane artist Joanna Bone, feature prominently in the apartment of star Steven Yuen in a scene from Burning.
The Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO was awarded to Garin Nugroho and Ifa Isfansyah for Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku; pictured, right) from Indonesia and accepted on the night by lead actor Muhummad Khan. Nugroho will now present a screening of the film on December 15 in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters as part of the Intergovernmental Committee meeting on the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
In one of the evening's most moving moments, Indian actress-turned-filmmaker Nandita Das was awarded the FIAPF Award for Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific Region. In her acceptance speech, the passionate advocate for civil liberties and human rights cited her early work in Deepa Mehta's lesbian romance Fire, a film that changed the landscape of Indian cinema 22 years ago and which still inspires her today. Her latest work, Manto, a biographical account of writer Saadat Hasan Manto's life in 1940s India, earned her leading man Nawazuddin Siddiqi the Best Actor APSA trophy.
The Australian sector was recognized in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, where director Paul Damien Williams and producer Shannon Swan were honoured for Gurrumul, the first win for Australia in this category at APSA. Also recognised were Hildur Guðnadóttir and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson for Mary Magdalene, director Garth Davies’ UK/Australian co-production. Legendary musician and chair of the Music in Film jury, Ryuichi Sakamoto said of the winning film, “Mary Magdalene’s soundtrack is a meticulous work of art by the composers. The quality of craftsmanship and the depth of emotions are overwhelming.”
The full list of 2018 Asia Pacific Screen Award winners:
Japan and the People’s Republic of China lead the field of nominees at the 2018 Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), with their respective industries securing 7 nominations each. The pack tightens behind them, with Australia, India and Kazakhstan each earning 5 nominations in key categories.
The 12th annual celebration of Asia Pacific cinema, a sector that provides half the world’s film output, features 46 films from 22 countries. Kore-Eda Hirokazu’s Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters (Japan; pictured, top) stands alone at the head of the nominee list with three nominations, including Film, Director and Screenplay nods. The film has sentimental ties to the APSAs, with star Kirin Kiki the 2015 Best Actress award winner for Naomi Kawase’s An; a beloved figure in Asian cinema, she passed away in September, aged 75.
Four other titles earned dual nominations - Lee Chang-dong’s Burning (Republic of Korea); Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s The Gentle Indifference of the World (Kazakhstan, France; pictured, right); Khavn’s Balangiga: Howling Wilderness (Philippines); and, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s Manta Ray (Thailand, People’s Republic of China, France).
The Australian sector’s five noms came across four categories. Paul Damien William’s Gurrumul will vie for the Best Documentary honour; amongst the Best Actress contenders is US actress Rooney Mara for Garth Davis’ Mary Magdalene; veteran Bruce Beresford earned his first APSA Best Director nomination for Ladies in Black; and, in the Best Original Score race, Harry Gregson-Williams (for Simon Baker’s Breath) and Hildur Guðnadóttir and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson (for Mary Magdalene) will compete.
The APSA nominee family expands in 2018 with the first ever contender from Uzbekistan. Best Actor nominee Karim Mirkhadiyev (pictured, left), star of Rashid Malikov’s stirring father/son drama Fortitude, will carry his nation’s hopes against a formidable field, including Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Manto; India), child actor and former Syrian refugee Zain Al Rafeea (Capharnaüm; Lebanon), Bahman Farmanara (Tale of the Sea; Islamic Republic of Iran) and Akylbek Abdykalykov (Night Accident; Kyrgyzstan).
Rooney faces a tough field of Best Actress contenders - Zhao Tao (Ash is Purest White; People’s Republic of China, France); Damla Sönmez (Sibel; Turkey, France, Germany, Luxembourg); Cannes Best Actress winner Samal Yeslyamova (Ayka; Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, People’s Republic of China, Germany, Poland); and, deaf actress Laura Koroleva (Sveta; Kazakhstan).
COMPLETE LIST OF 12th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST FEATURE FILM Balangiga: Howling Wilderness (Philippines; Dir: Khavn) Burning (Republic of Korea; Dir: LEE Chang-dong The Gentle Indifference of the World (Laskovoe Bezrazlichie Mira) (Kazakhstan, France; Dir Adilkhan YERZHANOV) Manta Ray (Kraben Rahu) (Thailand, People’s Republic of China, France; Dir: Phuttiphong AROONPHENG) Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku) (Japan; Dir: KORE-EDA Hirokazu)
BEST YOUTH FEATURE FILM Ava (Islamic Republic of Iran, Qatar, Canada; Dir: Sadaf FOROUGHI) Nervous Translation (Philippines; Dir: Shireen SENO) Passage of Life(Boku no kaeru basho) (Japan, Myanmar; Dir: Akio FUJIMOTO) The Pigeon(Güvercin) (Turkey; Dir: Banu SIVACI; trailer, below) Village Rockstars (India; Dir: Rima DAS)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM Hoffmaniada (Russian Federation; Dir: Stanislav SOKOLOV) Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms(Sayonara no asa ni yakusoku no hana o kazarô (Japan; Dir: Mari OKADA) Mirai (Mirai no Mirai) (Japan; Dir: Mamoru HOSODA) On Happiness Road(Hsing Fu Lu Shang) (Taiwan; Dir: SUNG Hsin-Yin) Rezo(Znaesh’, mama, gde ya byl) (Russian Federation; Dir: Leo GABRIADZE)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM Amal (Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany, Norway, Denmark; Dir: Mohamed SIAM) Gurrumul (Australia; Dir: Paul Damien WILLIAMS) Of Fathers and Sons (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany; Dir: Talal DERKI; trailer, below) Of Love & Law (Japan, United Kingdom, France; Dir: Hikaru TODA) Up Down & Sideways (kho ki pa lü) (India; Dir: Anushka MEENAKSHI, Iswar SRIKUMAR)
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING Nadine LABAKI for Capharnaüm (Lebanon) Bruce BERESFORD for Ladies in Black (Australia) Emir BAIGAZIN for The River (Ozen; Kazakhstan, Norway, Poland) KORE-EDA Hirokazu for Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku; Japan) Ivan AYR for Soni (India)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY Saumyananda SAHI for Balekempa (India) Hideho URATA for A Land Imagined (Singapore, France, Netherlands) Nawarophaat RUNGPHIBOONSOPHIT for Manta Ray (Kraben Rahu; Thailand, People’s Republic of China, France; trailer, below) Chaiyapruek CHALERMPORNPANIT for Malila: The Farewell Flower (Thailand) ZHANG Miaoyan, XU Zhiyong for Silent Mist (People’s Republic of China, France)
BEST SCREENPLAY Payman MAADI for Bomb, A Love Story (Bomb, Yek Asheghaneh; Islamic Republic of Iran) OH Jung-mi, LEE Chang-dong for Burning (Republic of Korea) Adilkhan YERZHANOV, Roelof Jan MINNEBOO for The Gentle Indifference of the World (Laskovoe Bezrazlichie Mira; Kazakhstan, France) KORE-EDA Hirokazu for Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku; Japan) Dan KLEINMAN, Sameh ZOABI for Tel Aviv on Fire (Israel, Belgium, France, Luxembourg)
CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF UNESCO Ala Changso (People’s Republic of China; Dir: Sonthar GYAL) Balangiga: Howling Wilderness (Philippines; Dir: Khavn) The Lord Eagle (Toyon Kyyl) (Russian Federation; Dir: Eduard NOVIKOV) Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) (Indonesia; Dir: Garin NUGROHO; trailer, below) The Taste of Rice Flower (Mi Hua Zhi Wei) (People’s Republic of China; Dir: Pengfei)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ZHAO Tao for Ash is Purest White (Jiang hu er nv; People’s Republic of China, France) Samal YESLYAMOVA for Ayka (Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, People’s Republic of China, Germany, Poland) Rooney MARA for Mary Magdalene (Australia, United Kingdom) Damla SÖNMEZ for Sibel (Turkey, France, Germany, Luxembourg) Laura KOROLEVA for Sveta (Kazakhstan)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR Zain AL RAFEEA for Capharnaüm (Lebanon) Karim MIRKHADIYEV for Fortitude (Sabot; Uzbekistan) Nawazuddin SIDDIQUI for Manto (India) Akylbek ABDYKALYKOV for Night Accident (Tunku Kyrsyk; Kyrgyzstan) Bahman FARMANARA for Tale of the Sea (Hekayat-e Darya; Islamic Republic of Iran)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Eléni KARAÏNDROU for Bomb, A Love Story (Bomb, Yek Asheghaneh; Islamic Republic of Iran) Harry GREGSON-WILLIAMS for Breath (Australia) Hildur GUÐNADÓTTIR, Jóhann JÓHANNSSON for Mary Magdalene (Australia, United Kingdom) Ryan CAYABYAB for The Portrait (Ang Larawan; Philippines) Omar FADEL for Yomeddine (Egypt)
(Note – With due respect to the Bikram Samwat calendar of the nation of Nepal, all dates in this article have been converted to the Gregorian calendar.)
Geographically remote and often burdened with financial hardship that has not always allowed for the costly craft of filmmaking, the Nepalese film industry did not premiere its first full-length feature film until 1952. D.B. Pariyar’s Satya Harischandra was shot in India andutilised Nepalese technicians and craftsmen living in India; an expanding release pattern in makeshift cinemas and town halls ensured it became a cultural sensation, although there is some debate as to whether it was shot in the Nepalese dialect or later dubbed.
The ruling government was aware of the impact upon the poorer classes that communal cinema going had and created a handful of propaganda films to indoctrinate them, but feature film production was nil. It was to be a decade later that Shiva Shanker and Bhuwan would star in Nepal’s first domestically produced and shot feature, Hira Singh Katri’s Aama (Mother, 1964). Its success was quickly followed by the film that would shape the Nepalese film industry, it’s success unprecedented – B.S. Thapa’s Maitighar (Maternal Home,1966), starring Bollywood siren Mala Singha (pictured, right; with co-star C.P. Lohani and child extra). So popular was the film that the region in which it was set was renamed after the film’s title and remains so to this day. Maitighar was the crowning achievement of the Royal Nepal Film Corporation, formed in 1962 to foster local production, including Hijo Aaj Bholi (1968)and Parivartan (1972). But the film’s success overwhelmed the small sector – it would be 16 years before another ambitious film, Juni, would be attempted, and its commercial failure sent many investors scurrying.
The implementation of a production sector tax rebate and a fresh wave of creativity overtook the Nepalese film industry in the late 1970’s and 1980’s and production prospered. Kathmandu (or ‘Kallywood’, as it is known locally) became the centre for film production – Man Ko Bandh, Kimoori, Sindoor and a series of films called Jeevan Rekha employed many and were enjoyed by the masses.
The political upheaval of the early 1990’s engendered the young members of society with a vibrancy and freedom that had not been allowed to surface for many years. Production started to generate, the resurgence led by the blockbuster releases of director Tulshi Ghimire (Kusama Rumal, 1987, featured below; China, 1991; Darpan Chaya, which took over 20million Rupee’s, in 2001).
The war with Maoist rebels, which intensified between 1998 and 2000, shattered the film industry and stifled cinema attendance of Nepal, and the dire state of affairs remained that way under monarchist rule until 2006. Some filmmakers were able to construct films that resembled the social-realism works of 1950’s European cinema, and factual filmmaking, chronicling the plight of the people and the land gained international coverage. Key amongst this movement was Tsering Rhitar Sherpa, whose 2000 film Mukundo (pictured, below)was a deeply spiritual study in grief and traditional religion and earned rare international exposure. But as a commercial film culture, Nepal was moribund.
It was the April 2006 overthrow of the monarchy that allowed for the rejuvenation of the film culture. The integration of the Maoist Communist Party of Nepal into mainstream politics resulted in investment in domestic production, the likes of which the Nepalese industry has not seen for some time. In 2007, Narayan Puri’s Aago (The Fire) and Himmat (The Guts) premiered, as did Badri Adhikari’s Aawaji (The Voice); a rebellious voice in the form of Dinesh Karki caused furore and debate with the racially volatile Aahankar; and factual film-making grew in stature with the release of Mami Kunaka Manchhle (We, the People of Remote Corner), that examined the slow developments of Nepal’s poorer communities, and Chaama Deu! Tara Nabirsa (Forgive! Forget Not!), based on the life of tortured journalist Bhairaja Ghimire.
Production has remained relatively constant, with the sector veering away from the Bollywood clichés that have dominated commercial cinema and finding new voices willing to tell contemporary narratives. In recent times, Nepalese auteurs such as Nischal Basnet (Loot; Kabbadi; Talak Jung vs Tulke), Joes Pandey (Saanghuro), Deepak Rauniyar (Highway), Narayan Rayamajhi (Paradeshi), Subarna Thapa (Soongava-Dance of the Orchid; pictured, right) and Yaday Kumar Bhattarai (Jhola) have found favour both domestically and abroad. Advocates are demanding the government take a pro-active stance in protecting and fostering local production; with imported Bollywood (and, increasingly, Hollywood) fare still accounting for 80% of theatrical releases in Nepal, the local sector continually struggles to be seen by Nepalese audiences.
In 2015, Australian director Jennifer Peedom’s Sherpa, a documentary that captured both the seething tensions between guides and tourists on Mount Everest and the horrific tragedy of the April 2014 Khumbu Icefall disaster, earned a BAFTA nomination and was lauded internationally.
Key Events: Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival – Kathmandu, Nepal; January. Organized by Himal Association, KIMFF started as a non-competitive, biennial festival founded in 2000. A wide selection of films reflecting contemporary society have been screened, including alpine documentation, archival footage, adventure cinema, experimental shorts, commentaries, anthropological narratives and narrative feature films. These movies have dealt with issues regarding cultural practices, lifestyles, conflict, wildlife, mountain-climbing, environment, globalization and gender. www.kimff.org
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 9:39AM 
In a strong year for women’s stories, the International Jury awarded its Grand Prize to All We Imagine as Light (pictured, right), the acclaimed second feature from India’s Payal Kapadia. The Prize, selected at the discretion of the jury, was awarded to this story of two working-class nurses amidst the nocturnal landscape of Mumbai.
Georgian director Tato Kotetishvili was awarded Best Director for his debut feature, the dark comedy Holy Electricity (Georgia, Netherlands), which sees cousins selling neon crucifixes door to door in Tbilisi, in a cinematic ode to the city and its people.
