White Sun

Deepak Rauniyar
on vod
release date Tue 6 Sep 16

The film has resemblances to a fable that, thanks to the realistic setting and cast-iron renditions, is turned into a credible story.

Ten years of civil war ended in Nepal in 2006. A new constitution was drawn up, in which equality of all citizens is paramount. But suspicion and resentment slowly wear off, and old traditions - plus the caste system and the associated oppression of women - cannot be replaced just like that. The former Maoist warrior Chandra notices this when he returns to his village after the death of his father, after a 10-year absence. On the way with the corpse to the cremation site, he got into serious conflict with his brother Suraj, who belonged to the other side, the so-called royalists, during the civil war.Chandra seeks help from the police, former comrades-in-arms and other villagers, but keeps getting blunt. The collective war trauma manifests itself in personal friction; national politics permeates village life.

direction
Deepak Rauniyar
cast
Dayahang Rai, Asha Magrati, Rabindra Singh Baniya
duration
89 min
release date
Tue 6 Sep 16
year
2016
country
Nepal, Netherlands, United States, Qatar
language
Nepalese
Subtitles
Nederlands, Frans

“White Sun" captures a place that isn’t seen much in movies. It shows how the lingering disputes of war ripple through lives after guns have ostensibly been laid down.

New York Times

subscribe to the newsletter