NEPALESE SHOWCASE, ESTUARY FESTIVAL
29 May 2021
THAMESMEAD TEXAS presents: For the Estuary Festival 2021, Thamesmead Texas have commissioned two artist filmmakers to produce new works for a screening programme in response to the theme of Imperial Legacy, specific to the sub themes of territories’, land ownership and mobile populations. The two featured artist filmmakers: Asmita Shrish and Daniel Turner (Aka ‘The Gypsy Sculptor’) are deeply embedded in Thamesmead, with a history of either living or researching in the locality. Thamesmead Texas have supported both Asmita and Dan to produce and display the works for a curated film programme, alongside an accompanying series of short films of their choice, for display from the Thamesmead Travelling Cinema, Lakeside Centre throughout the weekend of the Estuary Festival 29-30 May 2021.
NEPALI FILMS selected by Asmita Shrish
Group: Hamro Bajey Bajai, Farak Squad
Music Video, 2020 (Represented by Samir Gurung)
4 minutes, 48 seconds
The lively Baje Bajais of Woolwich wanted to show us how a real dance video is done so here is a special project in collaboration with the Hamro Baje Bajai charity organisation.
Filmmaker: Laxcha Bantawa
Pawan, 2014
Documentary
10 minutes, 3 seconds
A little boy moves to the UK with his family from a village in Nepal. Moving home from East to West is a big change for this Nepalese family. Watch the film to see how they have settled in their new lives in Leeds. Winner of Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival 2014.
Group: Hamro Bajey Bajai, Farak Squad
Music Video, 2020 (Represented by Samir Gurung)
3 minutes, 43 seconds
Music Video shot in Woolwich riverside showing Nepali youth in Woolwich.
Artist: Maximus Limbu
Vendors, 2020
Video
7 minutes, 50 seconds
Vendors is a reflection of street vending culture during the time of Pandemic in a city called Damak, Nepal. I use poetic gestures to interweave the snippet of reality with the collage of images and the conversation gathered between the shopkeeper and their customers.
Filmmaker: Asmita Shrish
Little Nepal, 2021
Documentary (pilot)
7 minutes, 15 seconds
This pilot in particular features four Gurkha widows in their 70s living in Woolwich.
Asmita Shrish is an independent filmmaker living in London for the past 10 years and deeply connected with the Nepali diaspora in the UK. Her filmmaking practice oscillates from documentaries to dramas, anchoring real issues and narratives to navigate and represent identity within physical and metaphysical space. Her films have always been the results of collaborations with the subjects/casts with particular attraction towards characters that are intimately close to their environment. . In my past documentaries the environment could mean a mountain, a town or neighbourhoods in a city. She has been mentored by auteurs Naomi Kawase, Bela Tarr and Shirin Neshat. Her films Auntie Ganga, Gyalmu’s House and Chandra have won multiple awards in film festivals around the world. Asmita is an alumni of Berlinale Talents (2020), BFI Network/BAFTA crew (2019/2020), Asian Film Academy alumni (2014) and is fellow of IDFA Academy (2011). She is also endorsed by British Council and a recent beneficiary of the Sinchi Fund 2019/2020 as an emerging Indigenous filmmaker.
Supported by Peabody Trust & Bow Arts Trust