27 Mar

INTREPID: On the frontlines of Tiger Conservation

Intrepid On the Frontlines of Tiger Conservation

WWF launched the Zero Poaching campaign in 2011 with an aim to lift the scale, intensity and professionalism of the effort against poaching and ensure that it never drops again. Under this campaign, Nepal joins hands with its counterparts in 13 tiger range countries to undertake a series of campaign activities and actions for a coordinated response to this threat. This film about a ranger team on the frontlines of tiger conservation and anti-poaching efforts as well as feature a current realistic look at the crisis is one of the key communications activities under this campaign. This film therefore follows a ranger team through their various activities, and illustrates a day in the life of the rangers.

27 Mar

HIV 101: HIV AIDS in Nepal

HIV 101 - HIV AIDS in Nepal (Documentary) 2012
 

The first case of AIDS in the Nepal was reported in 1988, since then, some 18,535 cases of HIV and AIDS have been reported till August 2011. The estimated adult HIV prevalence in Nepal is 0.39% with estimation of 63,528 people living with HIV. Globally, Prevention Revolution is recognized as the major tool, on getting Zero New HIV infection and zero discrimination. In Nepal, the epidemic is concentrated among some specific population, yet there is need to contentiously monitor the trend of epidemic. People living in rural part of Nepal especially young girls and women still lacks comprehensive knowledge about HIV compared to those living in urban setting. Against this backdrop and with the objective of making HIV as development agenda, and be a topic of discussion in each house hold, this film gives the basic information about HIV and AIDS in Nepal.

 

27 Mar

Voices from Below: Constitution Making in Nepal

Voice from Below - 2

The new Nepali Constitution will be based on a federal structure to address to end discrimination based on class, caste, language, gender, culture, religion and region by restructuring the centralized and unitary form of the state. However, there are serious implementation issues that need to be addressed.

For many, public consultation and inclusion are important tests of the legitimacy of the process. Perhaps even more importantly, the validity of the new Constitution will depend on how effectively it will be implemented and the degree to which it will improve common Nepali citizen’s lives.

This film documents the process of Democracy Dialogues and Federalism Dialogues held in different locations and convey the spirit of the process and people’s voices, their hopes and dreams in the new constitution.

27 Mar

The Sacred Himalayan Landscape

 

The Sacred Himalayan Landscape (SHL) was conceptualized to conserve and protect the ecological integrity of the Himalaya by nurturing, and reviving, the traditional spiritual beliefs and practices of the local people that have, for millennia, sustained the mountain ecological systems; from the alpine meadows, through the temperate broadleaf and conifer forests in the mid hills to the Terai grasslands. The freshwater rivers and streams that originate from high altitude glaciers and the antecedent rivers that dissect deep gorges in the mountain range thread the transverse terrestrial ecosystems as vertical aquatic ecological links.

This film is about the best practices and successful cases that have materialized through various projects, and the opportunities that are arising as gaps in mountain program – for instance, climate change adaptation, REDD, health issues, which are relatively new areas of interventions for WWF.

27 Mar

Out of the Closet

Out of Closet - 2

As for most other disadvantaged groups in Nepal, the success of the April 2006 popular uprising against the monarchy, which is also known as the Second People’s Movement, was a momentous event for Nepal’s sexual minorities. This was mainly so because it carried with it a promise of change all-around in what was to become a New Nepal. There was greater openness to new ideas and attitudes.

In actual terms, however, the LGBTI community continues to face discrimination at various levels. Despite the Supreme Court order and the well-publicized precedence of the third gender having been accepted by some government bodies, many have not been able to secure the same recognition.

This film, therefore, is an attempt to improve the quality of life of Third Gender Nepalese through greater community awareness of the challenges they face.

27 Mar

NORBU: The Precious Red Panda

norbu_poster

Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) is one of the poorly known small-bodied mammalian carnivore adapted to the herbivore diet. Globally, it is found in mountainous regions of India, China, Bhutan, Burma, Laos and Nepal. However, survival of red panda in its natural habitats is threatened by ever increasing anthropogenic disturbances that has resulted into loss, fragmentation and degradation of its habitats. Red pandas are extremely vulnerable to these disturbances especially due to their highly specialized niche.

This film advocates the conservation and cultural significance of the red panda and how local communities in partnership with scientists, government and conservation organizations are involved in red panda conservation.

31 Mar

Mustang – Journey of Transformation

Mustang - Journey of Transformation

Narrated by Richard Gere, Mustang – Journey of Transformation, tells the remarkable story of a 15th century Tibetan culture pulled back from the brink of extinction through the restoration of its most sacred sites. Featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the film is a tale of hope and rebirth told by the people who helped save this once Forbidden Kingdom.

Special Jury Award, Documentary – EcoVision Palermo, Sicily
Audience Award, World Cinema Short – Maui Film Festival
Best Film On Mountain Culture – Taos Mountain Film Festival
Best Documentary – Sundial Film Festival

“…combines stunning Himalayan vistas, with a story about a place that time has literally forgotten…”
—The Aspen Times

“…One nearly surefire way to know if a film is very good is wishing it were twice as long…”
—The San Francisco Chronicle

National PBS broadcast Wednesday, November 18th at 10pm
pbs.org/mustang/

Produced and Directed by: Will Parrinello
Narrated by: Richard Gere
Distributed by: Shorts International

27 Mar

100 Views Kathmandu

100views

100 Views Kathmandu is a film that documents 100Views Art & Literacy Program – creative teaching project focused on an icon in the students’ local area. This initiative was conceived, tested and founded by award-winning Australian children’s author, Libby Hathorn. Libby visited Kathmandu as part of Thulo April 2008 to establish the first 100 Views program in Nepal.

http://www.100views.com.au

31 Mar

The Relic Hunter with Ian Grant

The Relic Hunter with Ian Grant (Documentary) 2007

In this Emmy award winning series The Relic Hunter with Ian Grant, Ian goes to the Kathmandu valley and discovers relics inspired by religion in Nepal in the Katmandu Valley at the base of the Himalayas.

27 Mar

Protecting the God’s Pet: Saving Snow Leopard in the Himalayas

Uncia unciaSnow leopard

The endangered Snow Leopard is found in the Himalayas and Central Asia. There are estimated 4,500-7,500 snow leopards in the wild. In Nepal there are about 300-500 Snow Leopards scattered across the remote, northern mountains. Their survival is threatened by habitat degradation, loss of natural prey, poaching, retaliatory killing by villagers and inadequate national level policies and conservation initiatives.

A key challenge faced by conservationists is that the inaccessible rugged terrain of Snow Leopard habitats makes scientific researches and conservation initiatives difficult and expensive. However, in the Shey Phoksundo National Park and in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, following a Snow Leopard and prey species survey in 1999, efforts have been directed towards local level monitoring and mitigating conflict between villagers and the snow leopard.