Now that we’re safely back in Kathmandu, here’s the first of our back-log of updates from our time in the Dhading region. A lot happened, with 6.5 screenings and 2 workshops conducted in 7 days throughout 4 different communities as well as hikes, swims and plenty of spider watching.
Showing the Red Balloon at our second Sukaura screening
Here’s a look at our work in the two schools in the largest communities we visited, Khahare and Sukaura. We conducted filmmaking workshops in both schools, as well as two screenings in each, although the first screening at Khahare school was a small screening inside a classroom, showing just a few shorts plus the films that the students had made earlier that day.
Sukaura students interviewing the most enthusiastic headmaster in the world
We kicked things off in Sukaura school with workshops for about 30 kids, split into 3 groups, with each group being given a camera to work with. We set them a list of topics to make short films/interviews on:
- Tell us a joke or a funny story
- Tell us about the day the earthquake struck
- Show us around your school
- How is your life different now compared to before the earthquake?
- What are your dreams for the future?
After a bit of help with translation the kids ran off excitedly to make their films, while we set about preparing for that evening’s screening. When the workshop time was up we hurried home for a quick spell of editing to sort through the films and select the best to screen back to the kids that night before our chosen feature, The Jungle Book.
Screening The Jungle Book at Sukaura School
We returned to Sukaura a few days later for a second screening, this time playing The Red Balloon and How To Train Your Dragon.
On our last evening in the valley we had our second screening at Khahare on a grander outdoor scale, screening the epic (2 hrs :40!) and wonderful Taare Zameen Par.
Epic view of our screening in Khahare
More photos from Sukaura and Khahare… it was hard to choose just a few! Click the thumbnails for the full picture, with notes.
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- Explaining how the cameras worked to the students at Sukaura
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- Sukaura students interviewing each other
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- Hammering pegs into the rocky ground to make guide holes for the screen feet
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- The first outing for our beautiful new handpainted banner, it says ‘Children’s Cinema’ in Nepali
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- A swift editing session in the short gap between workshops at the evening screening at Sukaura
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- Alex & Dave fixing the tension on the screen – no stepladder now so we improvised with the jeep roof!
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- Drummers from the pre-screening singalong at Sukaura
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- Dancers too!
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- Showing the student films at Sukaura School
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- Small screening in a classroom at Khahare School
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- Showing the Red Balloon at our second Sukaura screening
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- Screening at Sukaura School
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- Our audience at Sukaura School, all wrapped up in How to Train your Dragon
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- The small kids watching Taare Zameen Par at Khahare – the rest of our audience opted to sit on benches at the back
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- An attentive audience at Khahare
