The 4th edition of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival will screen a total of 73 films from 26 countries which will include four films from Nepal.
Surendra Sharma
KATHMANDU: From the snowy slopes of the Himalayas to the European Alps, and the Peruvian Andes to Kilimanjaro in Africa, the peripheries of most of the mountains are the hotspots for conflicts, disasters and hardships, despite their striking beauties.
An international mountain film festival that opened in the Nepalese capital on Thursday, Dec 7 and will run through Monday Dec 11 is featuring just that — and much more.
The fourth edition of the biennial and non-fictional Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (Kimff ‘06) is screening altogether 73 films from 26 countries.
They include documentaries, features, animation and shorts on an array of issues including conflict, climbing, environment, culture and lifestyle.
Some of the films being screened include: Himalayan Adventure depicting the Maldivian dream for the Himalayan heights; Waiting featuring the missing men and ‘half-widows’ in Kashmir; Chulo Choli ra Banduk offering a glimpse into women in Nepal’s Maoist party; View from a Grain of Sand depicting Afghan women in conflict; and China Blue offering a peek into a Denim Jeans factory in China.
Other interesting entries include: Dancing Kathmandu featuring an American Nepali’s attempt to reconnect with Nepal through dance; Invisible Children: Rough Cut depicting the heart-wrenching tales of abduction and child soldiers in Uganda; Climate’s First Orphan featuring the little reported phenomena of the sea level rise and its impact in the
villages in the Indian state of Orissa; Flying over Everest depicting Italy’s Angelo D’Arrigo’s heroic and trailblazing flight over Everest on a hang-glider.
Opened by Pakistan’s first Everesteer and conservationist Nazir Sabir, the organisers have dedicated Kimff ‘06 to Dr. Harka Gurung, an eminent author and geographer of Nepal who perished in an air crash near Mt Kanchanjungha in east Nepal on September 23.
It’s also presenting a retrospective of films by the late Narain Singh Thapa, an Indian filmmaker of Nepali origin who specialised in films on Himalayan Valleys and mountains.
The Chief Producer of Films Division India from 1980 through 1983 and a Padma Shree Awardee, Thapa’s works include the filming of the 1968 first Indian Mt Everest expedition.
Kimff ‘06 is also showcasing “Best of Banff”, a selection of films from Canada’s premier mountain film festival.
At the end, an Audience Award will be given to the film that receives the most votes from the audience.
“Mountains the world over are a source of life and beauty, yet there’re a number of conflicts and troubles,” the festival director, Ramyata Limbu, told the DNA.
“Through this festival, we are trying to develop a resource centre on mountain films and issues, and draw the world’s attention, including that of planners and policymakers.”
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