Himalaya Film Festival 14 and 15 February 2009

Press Release
February 2009


Himalaya Film Festival 14 and 15 February 2009

Politics, culture and nature in 53 films


In June 2009, for the first time in ten years, the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama will visit the Netherlands in person. On 14 and 15 February, however, he can already be seen and heard at the Himalaya Film Festival in Amsterdam. 'The Tibetan issue plays a vital role at our festival,' says organizer Mr Glenn Mitrasing, 'but in addition as many as 30 films about Nepal will be screened. In all, 53 films, documentaries and lectures will sketch a picture of the fascinating diversity and the unique character of the Himalayan region.'


The running theme of the 7th edition of the Himalaya Film Festival is 'impermanence'. Mitrasing: 'Everything is impermanent, everything is transient, everything is in motion... In the Himalayan region this appears in many forms. Visitors may, for instance, watch Road to Tibet, a film about a reprise of the non-violent march - just before the Olympic Games. The marchers were stopped at the Indian-Tibetan border, however.

The film The Sari Soldiers is about the attempts of six brave women to shape Nepal's future in the midst of a civil war. Mitrasing also mentions Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army, directed by Robert Koenig. This documentary follows several Nepali boys and girls as they attempt to reintegrate into civil society after their associating - as child soldiers - with armed Maoist groups to fight the 'People's War'. Very moving!

Extreme beauty

Besides films with a political undertone, several 'lighter' films will be screened. Mitrasing: 'They emphasize the extreme beauty of the region. An example is Himalaya, Land of Women, which offers the viewers a sensitive and poetic immersion in the life of four generations of women during harvesting season. Or One Crazy Ride, about friendship and "never giving up" during a motorcycle expedition across Northeast India.'

Lectures

Past, present and future will play a vital role at this festival. 'They are inextricably bound up with each other and always in motion... Conservation architect John Sanday, for example, will talk about the conservation of old buildings and the impact it has on the local community. And Pema Wangchuk will highlight how geo-political decisions have impacted the Dokpas (yak herders). Together with the makers of the 53 films they will give the viewers a diverse and dynamic picture of the Himalayan region, a changing world.'

For more information and for tickets, please visit himalayafilmfestival.nl. The Himalaya Film Festival will be held in De Griffioen, the cultural centre of the Free University of Amsterdam, Uilenstede 106, 1183 AM Amstelveen.