The first shot of Director Min Bahadur Bham's 'Kalo Pothi' or 'The Black Hen'—an elderly person from a remote area in Mugu District carrying a hen in a doko and walking uphill—captivated the audience.
This is the first time a Nepali feature length film has been selected for screening in the prestigious festival. However, this is Bham's second visit to Venice. He was here earlier in 2012 when his short film 'Bansuli' was screened. 'Kalo Pothi' has also been selected in the 'International Critics Week' section of the festival. Organized by Italy's Film Critics Society, this section has been a part of the festival for the last 30 years. Director Bham is competing with nine other films in this section. He is also a contender, along with other debutant directors from all over the world, for the 'Lion of the Future' award which holds the prize money of almost USD 100,000.
'Kalo Pothi' premiered on Saturday, September 5, but it was screened a day earlier for journalists, distributers and producers. The film was also screened on Sunday morning and will be shown for the last time on Saturday, September 12.
As the film ended with two young boys swimming in Rara Lake to wash away the blood, the audience clapped for almost two minutes and congratulated the director. He was also called onstage where he answered questions regarding Nepal's politics and culture, and the film in which he has shown how the decade-long civil war has affected children in Nepal.
He stated firmly that the film doesn't criticize any political party. But he has doubts that the film might meet the wrath of the censor board or political parties. He said, "Nepali filmmakers don't have full freedom till now."
Award winning cinematographer Aziz Zhambakiyev remarked that Bham has proved that he is a cultural promoter by bringing 'Kalo Pothi' to Venice.
Zhambakiyev, who is also the cinematographer of 'Kalo Pothi', said, "Min has paved the way for those Nepali youth who want to do something in the field of art, literature and films. He is also a living example of a dream coming true."
Representing 'Kalo Pothi', producers Anna Katcho, Debaki Rai, Anup Thapa, and Upendra Jung Shahi are also in Venice. The film has been made in collaboration with Germany, Switzerland and France. Its actors include Khadka Raj Nepali, Sukra Raj Rokaya, Benisha Hamal, and Pravin Khatiwada.
Along with 'Kalo Pothi', Hollywood film 'Everest' has also brought recognition to Nepal at the festival. 'Everest', which is about the catastrophe faced by mountaineers while climbing Mount Everest, was the opening film of the festival this year.
On Saturday night, while Bham was at a party for the participating Russian filmmakers who were being welcomed to Venice by the Russian ambassador, he lamented, "We sent an invite to the Nepali consulate here but no one came to the screening. We didn't get any reply either. This is one reason why it's difficult to be a filmmaker in Nepal."
At the moment, Bham doesn't have plans to release his film in Nepal. However, he has prepared a list of festivals in Busan, Tokyo, Goa, and Switzerland to participate in. An Italian distributer has shown an interest in the film, too. Bham said, "If the company buys this film then other Nepali filmmakers may also get the opportunity to release their films in Italy."
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