Cald Voices
Simran Joshi
The 4-day long Glenroy Film Festival ended on Sunday last week having showcased some of the best classic and new cinema from all around the world. The well curated lineup by MIFF team had films in Arabic, English, Italian, Nepali and Urdu to reflect the diverse Glenroy community. For the occasion, the Glenroy Public hall decked out a red carpet and broadway lights to bring the magic of cinema to its audiencewith popcorn and light refreshments.
One of the films we got to see was Nepali movie Butterfly on the windowpane directed by Sujit Bidari. The film was featured at the 2020 Busan International Film Festival and even won the best director at the 2022 Dhaka Film Festival. It was also Nepal’s Official Submission For Best International Feature Film At The 95th Academy Awards.
The story line revolves around main character Bidya (13) played by Kanchan Chimariya who is a gifted student and aspiring poet. The movie opens with a scene of Bidya releasing butterflies out of a jar. Her brother, Basanta (9), played by Dinesh Khatri, finds it hard to believe a cocoon had metamorphosed to something so beautiful, to which Bidya says its journey has only just begin and how she also dreams to be free as the butterfly. We see the same reference in Bidya’s poem at the end of the movie.
The story unfolds after Bidya fails to secure the first position in the school term. She loses her scholarship which is her only chance to pursue her higher studies in the city. Ironically, Bidya the name given to our female lead translate to knowledge.
Her brother on the other hand who is seen as a mischievous in the beginning, is closely watching his sister giving up on her dreams and much like his name Basanta which translates to the spring season, he struggles to give Bidya the hope she desperately needs.
With subtle symbolism like this, the movie is almost lyrical as it touches upon sensitive societal topics like menstruation, child marriage, migration, alcoholism and gambling, painting a picture of everyday realities of many rural families in Nepal. Moments of light hearted humour also are well placed as we through scenes of these complex societal issues. One can not help but mention the supporting cast Siru Bista who plays an exceptional role as the mother of Bidya and Basanta.
Needless to say, the film gripped the audience at the Glenroy flim festival from the start to the finish. In the audience were people from diverse communities who were surprised to see the lead female take the stage at the end of the movie. The actress who had recently moved to Melbourne to pursue her higher studies was meet with curious questions from the audience members who wanted to know the process of getting into the role and how difficult or easy she found it. Chimariya gave us the insight on how she as able to portray a character that is very much different to real life; which meant she got to learn new things including cutting grass, climbing trees, mud painting and more to really get into the skin of the character while living away from her family for 4 months of the shooting process. Kanchan looks forward to and is hopeful for more opportunities to expand her acting capabilities.
Films like these are a testament to the growing Nepali Film industry and increasing appetite for magic of international cinema. We hope to see more of home grown talents and Nepalese cinema on world stage.
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