'I am Belmaya' Film Screening followed by a Q&A with the award winning director Sue Carpenter

Attend this film screening of the award-winning 'I am Belmaya', an inspirational tale of rebellion, courage and hope in patriarchal Nepal. Following the film screening there will be a Q&A with the director Sue Carpenter. Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine on arrival.

Doors open at 6pm. Screening begins at 7pm. 

Free Parking. Bar. 

All funds raised by the bar and through ticketing will go directly to projects on the ground in rural Nepal, through Partners for Progress.

Follow the driveway up and where the road divides slide left, follow the road all the way up to the main buildings to find the car park. Follow sinage towards the Pensebene Library.

Synopsis

Dominated by her husband, her family and society, Belmaya is desperate for independence. Born a Dalit in a hill village in Nepal, orphaned at the age of nine, poorly educated, and trapped in an abusive marriage with a baby daughter, Belmaya, 21, has given up hope of finding happiness.

Rewind to 2006, when Belmaya, at 14, participated in a photo project at a girls’ home in Pokhara. A natural feminist, full of passion and mischief, she was keen to change her discriminatory world through photography. But that window closed when the home locked away her camera.

Now she gets a second chance, this time to train in documentary filmmaking. Picking up the camera once more, her maverick spark returns. Determined to create a better life for her young daughter, Belmaya gains the skills and confidence to forge a new path. But are her resentful husband and conservative community ready for this?

I Am Belmaya is an extraordinarily intimate window into Belmaya’s world, giving an insight into the brutality of life for many girls and women in Nepal, and showing her determination to challenge social norms and transcend the life she was born into.

The result is a rich portrait, interweaving observational material with footage shot by Belmaya, and challenging the traditional roles of director/subject, as she becomes co-director of her own story.

Watch the trailer here - 'I am Belmaya' Official Trailer (the documentary is in Nepali and subtitled)

Reviews

 **** “IMMENSELY ENGAGING” – SUNDAY TIMES ***** “SUPERB PORTRAIT” - UK FILM REVIEW **** “WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARY” – TOTAL FILM “SUCH A RAW, POWERFUL FILM. ONE OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARIES I’VE EVER SEEN” – THE LANCET “A DARING AND HEART-BREAKING FILM, WHICH FILLS ONE WITH HOPE AND ADMIRATION. FIVE SHINING STARS FROM ME” – JOANNA LUMLEY 

‘My heart is singing. It’s so refreshing to come across a real story. There’s no lies. You just speak the truth and this comes out so beautifully in the film.’ Thomas Kelly, Photographer and cinematographer

‘It’s absolutely amazing! The balance between the emotion, the humour, the entire narration … The way it shows empowerment is much different from anything I’ve ever seen. It’s a kind of fusion between an observational documentary as well as an interactive one, with snippets from her camera as well as [the observer’s]. The editing is just sensational’ Paribesh Sitoula, Media student

‘INCREDIBLE! It was quite a rollercoaster for my heart – from aching to full of joy, excitement, and pride for Belmaya. Such a beautiful and incredibly told story’ Kate Fahy, RAI Film Festival

‘I was so emotional after it, I didn’t want to speak with anyone for at least half an hour! I loved the spirit that through all the struggles that Belmaya had, that zest she had to keep moving forward. I loved it!’ Shivangi Bansal, Art Curator

‘Truly heartbreaking at times, and so affirming and sweet at others. I don’t think I will ever forget this person, in the same way I won’t forget some of Ken Loach’s characters or Don McCullin’s images’ Audience member, London

‘That was the first time I’ve cried watching a film in quite some time. In the room there was this electricity. Everyone was there, in that story, in that journey’ Kalani Gacon, Documentary filmmaker