Ind-E-Focus

People Daily reports on a new film festival being held in Nepal;

A 24-year-old Nepali young man is hosting a three-day festival of Chinese documentary films in Nepali capital Kathmandu since Wednesday.

Uday Ali, who comes from Nepalgunj town in southern Nepal,

has chosen the republic's oldest theater, Aarohan, to hold the film festival. Though he has no sponsors and is spending money from his own pockets, the young man is doing it as a labor of love.

"While I have never been to China, I am a regular visitor to the World Culture Net in Kathmandu (that acquaints visitors with Chinese culture) and have been an avid watcher of Chinese films," said Ali, whose two-year-old Earthwild Film Company is the organizer of the festival.

"In Nepal, people have a wrong concept about China. Many people still think of China as an ancient civilization whereas it has made remarkable progress in the spheres of arts and culture and science and technology," said Ali.

Ali, who is also an aspiring actor, is now seeking to introduce Nepalis to the new China. His film company focuses on the environment, prevention of violence against women and indigenous communities.

The 12 documentaries to be screened over three days include "Bravo South China" that focuses on the amazing silk trade in southern China, and "Autobiography of a World War II Orphan", etc.

To foster Sino-Nepali cultural ties, Ali has also included a Nepali documentary in the festival.

"A Silent Monsoon" is a moving feature by Nepali film maker Pravesh Gurung about the Badis, a disadvantaged community in Nepal who for years were exploited as prostitutes.

The documentary is about the struggle of a woman who tries to save her 12-year-old daughter from being forced into prostitution to fetch money for the impoverished family.

Source: Xinhua (Source:peopledaily - Nepali youth to host Chinese Documentary Film Festival)