Curated by the current cohort of ICO FEDS trainees, Hamro Katha (which translates to ‘Our Stories’) highlights the work of women filmmakers from the bustling and somewhat underrepresented film scene in Nepal.
The programme shares the stories of women and girls who want their voices heard and dreams shared, and aims to ignite discussion about the experiences faced by women in Nepal. Presented as a collection of shorts and a live filmmaker Q&A, Hamro Katha gives insight into contemporary Nepali culture, touching on themes of community, gender and women’s rights.
Tickets are just £5 and give you access to all elements of Hamro Katha.*
If you have any queries about the event, please get in touch at: info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
*Please note that Hajur is only available to view from the UK and Ireland. The rest of the films in the programme and the Q&A are available worldwide.
Films in the programme include:
Chandra | dir. Asmita Shrish, Fateme Ahmadi | 2015 | 15 mins
Little Chandra walks through earthquake-hit Kathmandu with his grandfather to visit his mother and newborn sibling in the hospital. What awaits them at the end?
Come Over for a Drink, Kanchii | dir. Sikuma Rai | 2020 | 26 mins
Come Over for a Drink, Kanchii is the filmmaker’s confrontation with the popular narrative in Nepal that alcoholism is the leading cause of the indigenous Rai community’s perceived backwardness.
Hajur | dir. Pinki Sris Rana, LSM | 2022 | 11 mins
Sarita, a young mother, is at the turning point of her career. She’s given it all for this project, but being a mother and a wife night and day, she’s finding it hard to piece together the puzzle. Will her ambition and hard work pay off, or will the four walls of the kitchen confine her as is expected by the society she lives in?
Pahichan | dir. Yajaswi Rai | 2019 | 7 mins
The story of Rukshana Kapali, Pahichan shows how her struggle for the acceptance and recognition of her identity is part of the daily routine for this 19-year-old trans woman in Nepal.
Period: A State of Purity | dir. Rewati Gurung | 2019 | 7 mins
Period: A State of Purity is a film about the menstruation practice of Tibetan Buddhist nuns in a remote monastery in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Stronger | dir. Belmaya Nepali, Simi Carpenter | 2021 | 3 mins
An original song and film, shot in Nepal but with a universal message about girls’ desire to break free from parental and societal constraints and be themselves.
About the curators
This event has been curated by the current cohort of ICO FEDS trainees. FEDS is a ground-breaking scheme designed to give newcomers to the film industry the ultimate head-start through a ten-month paid traineeship in the film exhibition sector. The current trainees are:
- Aagya Pradhan (HOME)
- Asif Vehvaria (Phoenix Leicester)
- Eliza Sealy (Independent Cinema Office)
- Patrice Robinson (Barbican)
- Tanya Charteris-Black (Tyneside Cinema)