I am Belmaya graphs the past 14 years Nepali women’s life. I Am Belmaya, which was published in honor of the United Nations International Day of the Girl Child on October 11th. Belmaya Nepali is both the subject and co-director of the film.
Belmaya was orphaned when she was nine years old, and she had to trim grass and gather firewood before going to school. Belmaya was so wounded that she left out when her teacher criticized her for having “a brain filled with cow excrement.” “I could have obtained a better job if I had pursued my studies.” I wouldn’t have to rely on my brothers for assistance. ‘I wouldn’t have to rely on my husband,’ she explained.
Sue Carpenter decided to follow Belmaya’s journey to becoming a documentary-maker over the course of five years, when she was 21 years old, had a baby daughter, and was married to an abusive spouse.
This film shows a determined, strong, and resilient young woman who is uneducated, orphaned, and from a low caste. The woman is committed to following her dream against the sexist constraints of Nepal’s patriarchal society through stills and video footage from Belmaya’s teenage years, as well as the work she shot training to become a documentarian herself. This powerful and poignant film winning the best short film award at the 2019 UK Asian Film Festival.
Despite this, the film offers a moving portrayal of the hard realities that Dalit girls suffer in modern Nepal, as well as Nepal’s remarkable achievements. Belmaya will present her films at KIMFF on 17 December.
