Discover the vibrant world of Nepalese cinema at this year’s Nepali Film Festival in Cinema Flagey in Brussels, 2-4 December 2024. This first-ever festival of Nepali films in Brussels celebrates 50 years of EU-Nepal ties and showcases the best of contemporary Nepali cinema, celebrating the cinematic voice and visions of some of the distinguished Nepali filmmakers.

An array of films, ranging from fiction and non-fiction, and shorts to features, cinematically portray rich and diverse facets of the contemporary Nepali society, and tell powerful stories of people living in a rapidly modernizing society yet still rooted in tradition.  

For schedules and screenings, download the Full Programme for the Festival of Nepali films, Brussels, 2-4 December 2024

Read on to learn about these fascinating films.

Dhye Dreams (Winner of Short Film Competition)

Directed by Shanta Nepali

(NEPAL)

(27 min.)

(Language: English,)

Synopsis

"Dhye Dreams" is a 30-minute documentary that intimately explores the lives of three women fighting against their fate: Sonam Sangmo, Kunchok Dolkar, and Lhakpa Choezon. Most villagers have moved down to a river-fed valley and the new frontier town of Chambaleh, where they hope to grow a commercial apple crop. But Kunchok and Lhakpa stay with their beloved livestock and fields up in the mountains. Their stories highlight the resilience and struggle for the survival of isolated Himalayan villages battling against dramatic climate change.

No Winter Holidays

Directed by Rajan Kathet & Sunir Pandey

(NEPAL)

(78 min.) Non-Fiction

(Language: Nepali, | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

Two lifelong rivals Ratima and Kalima have been appointed caretakers of their empty village. Now in the twilight of their lives, they must forget their past and help each other survive a long and harsh winter.

A Road to a Village (Gaun Aayeko Bato)

Directed by Nabin Subba

(120 min.) Fiction

(Language: Nepali, | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

Ups and downs in the relationship between a father and his son after the construction of a road in the village in an indigenous community in Nepal.

Subarna Thapa

The Secrets of Radha

Directed by Suberna Thapa

(NEPAL)

(110 min.)

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

A poetic picturization of the struggle and courage of a Nepali woman

Into the Mist

Directed by Dr. Sachin Ghimire & Gaurab KC

(NEPALI)

(78 min.)  Non-Fiction

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

This is a biopic based on the life and work of an anthropologist Professor Dor Bahadur Bista. Prof. Bista is a leading anthropologist of Nepal and is remembered to this day for institutionalizing anthropology and sociology in Nepal. The highly regarded and considered by some as somewhat controversial figure suddenly disappeared one day, and no one knows what happened to him. This film explores his disappearance as well as his legacy.

Bulaki

Directed by Laxman Sunar

(NEPAL)

(105 min.)  Fiction

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English,)

Synopses

A story based on a practice called "Jari", prevalent in some parts of Nepal, (whereby a man who married wife of another man has to pay compensation to the latter in form of cash and kind) and its implications for two families, set against remoteness and hardship of a far flung region in Nepal.

Ajima & Six Genders

Directed by Sunil Babu Panta

(NEPAL)

(80 min.)

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

The documentary delves into Kathmandu’s matriarchal history, focusing on the Ajima goddesses, and the complex relationship between patriarchal and matriarchal values. The film explores diverse genders and sexualities and presents a profound reflection on cultural heritage and modern gender issues.

The Bull, the Cow & the Calf (Winner of short film competition)

Directed by Swoyam Maskey Manandhar 

(NEPAL)

(14 min.)

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

In the midst of social divides, 'The Bull, The Cow, and The Calf' reveals the toll of family conflict on children. As financial tensions rise between parents, their son quietly observes their arguments. Trapped between their struggles and a desire for peace, the boy confronts the loss of innocence in their turbulent home.

One Night in Kathmandu

Directed by Mohan Rai

(NEPAL)

(70 min.)  Fiction

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English,)

Synopsis

The effort by a girl--together with a boy, who she is strange to--to save a man injured in a road accident one evening in Kathmandu unexpectedly turns out to be a pretext to heal her own wounded soul.

Black Hen

Directed by Min Bham

(NEPAL)

(80 min.) Fiction

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

The film is based on a journey embarked by two friends, Prakash and Kiran, belonging to different castes in search of a missing hen, unaware of the tyranny brought by the fragile ceasefire during the Nepalese civil war.

Butterfly on Window Pane

Directed by Sujit Bidari

(NEPAL)

(96 min.) Fiction

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English,)

Synopsis

As the studious Bidhya (13) prepares for her further studies, her juvenile brother Basanta (9) keeps distracting her with his antics. But when he learns that his sister is giving up on her dreams, Basanta struggles to give Bidhya the hope and inspiration she desperately needs.

Bulbul

Directed by Binod Poudel

(NEPAL )

(116 min.)

(Language: Nepali | Subtitles: English)

Synopsis

A story about a woman who drives a tempo (3-wheeled micro-bus service). The film touches on topics of couples separated because one person leaves to work abroad, and life for the person who stays behind, among many other themes.