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