Documentary on Child Soldiers of Nepal Thursday and Friday September 25 and 26 at New College of Florida

Documentary on Child Soldiers of Nepal Thursday and Friday September 25 and 26

Award winning film director, Bob Koenig’s documentary, “Returned: Child Soldiers of Maoist Nepal,” examines one of the use of child soldiers in the civil war in Nepal. The film will be shown in the Hamilton Classroom Teaching Auditorium on Thursday and Friday September 25 and 26 at 7:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public. Seats are on a first come, first serve basis.

In the past few months, Nepal’s government has undergone extraordinary changes. Despite recent hopes for peace, many people fear anything could upset the process.

“Nepal is going through the worst political crisis in its history,” explains Koenig, . “The monarchy has been abolished and the Maoists, the former guerrilla insurgents, have taken control of the government.”

“This film has the potential to influence people in the U.S. and other developed nations around the world to take action,” says Koenig. “It can help these children at the macro level and at the political level.”

Already the film is garnering a positive response both nationally and internationally. After a successful premiere at Atlanta’s DocuFest, it is slated to air during the United Nations Association Film Festival, receive a jury award from the American Anthropological Association, and admitted into the renowned Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles.

“All the political parties involved in Nepal, including the U.S. government’s representatives, don’t want the truth uncovered,” Koenig says. “They don’t really want justice, they don’t really want to find out who was involved in which atrocities, because they are all somehow linked to criminal acts of violence.”

“We’re so excited to bring this documentary to New College,” says Konnie Kruzcek, director of New College Student Activities. “It’s such a great opportunity for our students and the community to gain understanding of a country that is so rarely discussed in the news.”

For more information or to arrange an interview with Bob Koenig, please contact Shannon Strischek at (404) 433-1724 or by email at shannon.strischek@ncf.edu.

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