he morning sun illuminates the dusky hills

भिडियो हेर्न तलको बक्सभित्र किल्क गर्नुहोस

he morning sun illuminates the dusky hills. Birds are chirping, roosters crowing, chicks peeping, and children reading aloud from textbooks. Morning has graced the village of Bahunchhura, located somewhere in the central hills of Nepal. A beautiful, ruminating soundtrack infuses the scene and a voiceover narrates: “My name is Shanta Darnal and I am 15 years old. My village lies between the hills. There are hills all around and my village is in the middle.” The film continues as the camera pans inside and outside the Darnal household: there’s a water buffalo being milked in the animal shed, maize being ground in the jato, a golden fire being stoked in the kitchen, people sipping teas from stainless steelcups. Clear, brightlight enters the Darnals’ home. One of Shanta’s little sisters climbs through a low window into the house. She pauses and smiles at the camera. The ruminating music continues along with Shanta’s voiceover: “I used to live there with my mummy and daddy, and my little brothers and sisters.” Drawing the Tiger is an ambitious and intimate portrait of Shanta Darnal and her family, filmed over seven years. The feature-length documentary is co-directed and co-produced by Seattle-based Amy Benson and Scott Squire, and co-directed by Kathmandu-based Ramyata Limbu. The film premiered at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto last May. It will premiere in Nepal at the Film South Asia 2015, in Kathmandu.