The 10th edition of Film Southasia (FSA ’15) commenced on Thursday at the Yela Maya Kendra premises in Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur. Despite limited transport options currently available in Kathmandu, an eager viewership of students, filmmakers, and film enthusiasts biked, bussed, or walked to the opening day of the event.  

The first day of the festival saw the screening of eight student films—a first for the biennial festival in its 20 year history. With entries from Nepal, India, and Myanmar, the Best Student Film is slated to walk away with a citation of $500. The directors of five of the eight films screened were present

at the event and facilitated discussions after

the screenings. The event also saw Adoor Gopalakrishnan host a workshop for filmmakers.

Gopalakrishnan, who is the chief guest of this edition of the FSA, later, inaugurated the festival

at an event held at the Kamal Mani Theatre,

Patan Dhoka. Speaking at the inauguration, Gopalakrishnan lauded the efforts of the organiser for forging ahead with the festival despite the

innumerable difficulties faced due to the recent earthquakes, the political strife and the unofficial blockade. “In these difficult times, documentaries are ever more important, “ he said, “Documentaries symbolise irreverence. In these present times where people continue to muffle their own voices through self-censorship, documentaries are a beacon of hope.”  The inauguration was followed by a musical performance by Lochan Rijal dedicated to Ram Bahadur Tamang—the mascot of Film Southasia and the namesake of the Ram Bahadur Trophy handed out to the Best Film at each edition of the FSA. The first day of the festival closed with the screening of Drawing The Tiger, a film directed by the veteran filmmaker Ramyata Limbu.

The four-day festival is slated to continue until November 22. The tickets for the event—Rs 50 per screening—are available at the venue or the Mandala Book Point, Kantipath.

Screening at FSA’ 15 today

Movie: Saving Mes Aynak

Time: 10:00am

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Afghanistan

Length: 50 minutes

An archeologist races against time to save an ancient Buddhist site under threat from both the government-contracted Chinese mining company and the Taliban.

Movie: Love Marriage in Kabul

Time: 10:15am

Venue: Baggikhana, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Afghanistan

Length: 84 minutes

Abdul enlists the help of Mahboba to help convince Fatemeh’s father to let them get married.

Movie: What the Fields Remember

Time: 11:15am

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: India

Length: 52 minutes

Revisiting the Nellie massacre, where 1800 Bengali Muslims were killed in the state of Assam.

Movie: Tashi’s Turbine

Time: 12:15am

Venue: Baggikhana, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Nepal

Length: 57 minutes

Tashi and his friend travel to Namdok in Upper Mustang to install a wind turbine, where they encounter unforeseen challenges.

Movie: A Political Life

Time: 12:30pm

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Myanmar

Length: 20 minutes

Aung San Suu Kyi’s retired bodyguard bows out of politics and finds other forms of employment.

Movie: News from Jaffna

Time: 12:30pm

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Sri Lanka

Length: 28 minutes

A young reporter dares to cover press freedom in one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists.

Movie: Anjaan Rastaay

Time: 12:30pm

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Pakistan

Length: 23 minutes

Debating the logic behind renaming popular landmarks and streets in Lahore.

Movie: On and Off the Records

Time: 4:30pm

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: India

Length: 55 minutes

Evolution of Hindustani classical music and recording formats that affected one of the oldest musical traditions of the world.

Movie: Silence in the Courts

Time: 1:30pm

Venue: Baggikhana, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Sri Lanka

Length: 53 minutes

A story of a woman’s search for justice after being raped by a corrupt judge who was presiding over her husband’s case.

Movie: Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai

Time: 2:30pm

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: India

Length: 136 minutes

Exploring the social-political dynamics that led to one of India’s worst communal riots since independence.

Movie: My Name is Salt

Time: 2:45pm

Venue: Baggikhana, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: India

Length: 90 minutes

Channabhai and family live in the desert without provisions to extract salt from its arid landscape.

Movie: Behind the Screens

Time: 4:30pm

Venue: Baggikhana, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Myanmar

Length: 35 minutes

A son dissects his actor parents’ marriage through their on-screen roles hoping to find answers on why they separated.

Movie: The Journey Within

Time: 6:30pm

Venue: Courtyard, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Pakistan

Length: 86 minutes

Look inside the musical world of Coke Studio.

Movie: Brief Life of Insects

Time: 4:30pm

Venue: Baggikhana, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: India

Length: 22 minutes

In Umpohwin, friends thresh paddies and sing while working on the fields.

Movie: Bishkanta (The Poison Thorn)

Time: 5:45pm

Venue: Majlis, Yela Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka

Country: Bangladesh

Length: 40 minutes

A historic account of three survivors of rape during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.