Both directors, present at the event, explained to the audience not only the ideas behind their films but also various technical details and their experiences while making the films.[break]
“I made this film a few years back,” said Pranay Limbu, adding “It was a huge risk to take back then. I knew my film could easily upset the ruling forces then and I could’ve had to face grave consequences.”
Rana’s film deals with the real life story of Bhaikaji Ghimire, a Nepali journalist who was accused of being a terrorist (Maoist) and therefore detained blindfolded within Kathmandu’s infamous Bhairavnath Barracks for 15 months.
The subject of the documentary is not the only highlight of the movie. The director has presented the movie differently from what the audience would normally expect. It takes the audience into the Barracks exactly the way Ghimire was taken, the visual being limited to that of a blindfolded person.
“The sound of the film has been kept raw, and we’ve tried to keep it as real as possible,” explained the director.
“Forgive, Forget Not” is a critically acclaimed film which has gathered applauses at Film South Asia, Kathmandu, 2003; New Wave International Film Festival; Sri Lanka Amnesty International Film Festival; in New Delhi, 2008, and is the winner of Kathmandu International Film Festival, 2007 as Best Film (Nepal Panorama), alongside many others.
“Watcher” by Pranay Rana, on the other hand, deals with the story of a man who films other people’s private lives and watches it. When another man finds out, he begins to follow him, himself becoming a watcher.
While viewing television and films, we begin to take for granted that we are actually watching personal details of people’s lives. That was what Rana explained to the audience as the theme of his film.
“This is my second film and has been shot around my school in Yonkers, New York. It’s just a student project,” he clarified.
Elaborating on the selection process of the films screened, Sashul Shrestha, director of the event, said “We want to give equal space to amateur and professional filmmakers,” adding “We want to share ideas and learn from each other.”
The screening, which is a monthly affair, aims at providing a platform for independent filmmakers, and as for the audiences, a place to interact with these filmmakers.
“We’re getting positive responses from the participants as well filmmakers,” claimed Shrestha.
The tickets are priced at Rs 30 each while films are to be screened at 4:30 PM all through the week.
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All set for ‘Clinik Documentary Lab 2019’
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