KATHMANDU

Rajesh Prasad Khatri directed Nepali movie ‘A Scarecrow’ has won the UNICEF Iris 75 award at the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival 2021 (UIFF). According to a press statement released by UNICEF, it is organized by UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti, that celebrates films that have skillfully captured what it means to be a child today.

The festival took place from October 21 to 24 in Florence, Italy which featured a total of 38 films from 29 countries.

UIFF has introduced the Iris Award to recognize excellence in filmmaking about children and to encourage exploration of childhood all over the world as a cinematic theme. In its second edition, the response has been encouraging with a total of 1700 films submitted for consideration from 114 countries according to the press statement.

The honor for the best overall film at UIFF is the ‘UNICEF 75 Iris,’ created to mark UNICEF’s 75th anniversary, now being celebrated around the world. An international jury selected ‘A Scarecrow’ written and directed by self-taught Nepali filmmaker, Rajesh Prasad Khatri, for the top award. Rajesh Khatri, who is also a school teacher, accurately depicts the cultural barriers that often prevent young girls from gaining an education.

It quoted Khatri saying, "Being a teacher in the remotest village, I have had the privilege to interact with a group of innocent kids where I always learn to feel the stories of each students' cold homes, broken dreams, and their tears along with my experience. Most of all, these are the stories of truth which I am hoping to advocate for their rights and share their stories to the world through the medium of cinema."