Kia ora whanau
SOPHIE'S BLOG 5: KATHMANDU: Yesterday afternoon, after nap-time (we actually have one!) Lei, Minnie and I caught a cab to the City Hall for my screening. The presenter hadn't known I was there and didn't ask me on stage to introduce my piece as she had the other filmmakers. After it had shown she moved quickly onto the next film, and before we knew it the next director was up on stage!
Minnie was so determined to see that I had my time to talk she called out to the helpers and demanded that the next film not be screened until I had! So after the director had said his speech, the embarrassed presenter asked me onto the stage. I was more than a little embarrased myself since they had forgotten I was there! I received very encouraging feedback from the other filmmakers, but I found out that for many of the Nepali people, the New Zealand accent is very difficult to understand. I am going to ask the festival organisers if they can provide Nepali subtitles for another screening here so that more people can understand what it was about.
For the first time since we had arrived, it rained. The sky turned black and the wind picked up while we were waiting to be interviewed by a local television station. In the end, the weather was so horrible that we decided to skip that and come home. We had a little break and chose pounamu for the organisers and some of the international guests who we had become friends with. This greenstone was given to me by my friend Robert Pouwhare from Te Ara Poutama specifically for this purpose - thanks Robert!
When it was time to get ready we put on the sounds, had our daily cold showers (never hot!) and prettied ourselves for the red carpet. We had a van come and pick us all up from the hotel and take us on the 30-minute journey to Gokarna Resort. We drove through poverty-stricken areas near the jungle to arrive at an enormous resort fit for royalty. It was an unusual feeling knowing that the people of the area were deprived of so much, and here we were at some flash hotel that must have cost millions to develop.
We were led through to a large courtyard where many people in lovely dresses and suits were crowding around. They had a buffet-styled barbeque outside and these pretty little safari tents where guests could sit and eat. The food was dIvine - melt-in-your-mouth fish, which tasted like salmon but looked more like eel; Nepali-styled tofu that tasted like the most tender chicken you have ever had; and vegetable kebabs with a delicious spicy paste. And this was just the starter!
After we had a bite to eat and a glass of wine we were all invited to come inside to the conference hall for the presentations. There were many people there, including several members of the local press. We were welcomed with traditional drum music by an all-woman group to fit with the gender theme of the festival. All of the filmmakers received a certificate and a gift from the festival organisers, and there were more performances that had been choreographed and designed especially for the international guests. It was fascinating to watch, and we could see that a lot of work had been put into the preparation.
They gave out prizes to the best films, which all deserved their awards. I was so happy that Denise picked up the Bronze Drum for her film, Children of the Amazon. After a few speeches and another performance, we had a feed of all sorts of Nepali-style food. Lei and I handed out our pounamu gifts and said our farewells to those who were leaving the next day. It was a little bit sad but we all plan to keep in touch via Facebook. Lei and I will be meeting with some of them again in Pokhara, the third largest city of Nepal that is known for its picturesque surroundings. We are going to take the 20-minute flight there tomorrow morning after having a day off today to do some shopping in Thamel.
As the festival has come to an end, we say goodbye to our team of filmmakers and activists from all over the world. Now we take another journey around this intriguing country and what it has to offer.
Until next time ...
Hei konei ra!
Sophie
Pacific Media Centre
