Film direction’s a man’s world, but not for long

NL Today

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Kathmandu: Last week, actor/director Roshani KC won the award for Best Director in  ‘Nepal Music and Fashion Award 2077’ for the music video ‘ Tehi Sachha Nepali’ – a patriotic song that featured various renowned artists. 

In Nepal, When it comes to bagging the award for best director, the names of females are heard very rarely. The award-winning director KC gives three reasons behind it. 

Firstly, she says, although females are as capable as men, very less number of  females are active in movie direction. The number is very less if we compare with those involved in acting, singing and choreography.    

Many females aspire to enroll in this profession, and to all those aspirants, KC says, “there are various perceptions in the market regarding this profession, but personally I feel it is one of the best industries to build a better career.

“Secondly, there is a lack of support from families towards the females in this profession. Nepali society is still so conservative that families do not want their daughters to get into this industry. Many talented females aspire to enter this field, but due to lack of family support they are reluctant. Without family support, it is difficult for them to enjoy the same success as their male counterparts,” KC added.

Lastly, according to her, there are still a number of promising female directors who have a great potential to come up with world-class movies, but unfortunately they are so occupied with their family matters that they are not able to spare time for their profession.  

She believes that government bodies like the Films Development Board and others can play a significant role to improve the situation and encourage women towards technical aspects of movies. KC suggests that the Board should provide workshops and training aimed at females interested in filmmaking and other behind-the-scenes jobs.  

In developing countries like Nepal where many females still struggle to get outside of their homes for employment, such kind of initiation by the government can leave a positive impact. There are various  colleges and academic institutions which provide education related to different aspects of movie making. Those institutions can also come up with related courses and degrees to motivate females to learn about the film industry. 

Many females aspire to enroll in this profession, and to all those aspirants, KC says, “there are various perceptions in the market regarding this profession, but personally I feel it is one of the best industries to build a better career. Tons of opportunities are waiting for the talented ones. All you need is patience, dedication and  determination to succeed in this profession.” 

KC is one of the most successful names in Nepali movie industry. She has been an inspiration to many females who aspire to follow this career. She has produced Nepali feature films ‘Dr Khatey’ and ‘Jani Najani’, and has also directed a documentary film ‘Teez’. She is also the life member of the Film Artist Association of Nepal. 

Dr Khatey was featured at the Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIFF) in 2015 and won a few National awards. Similarly, it was the only movie to be selected in the 6th Nepal Africa Film Festival 2017.