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Glenn Krishna Mitrasing, medical doctor by day and festival organiser by night, says audience numbers continue to rise every year with better advertising and publicity. "The festival has now become an established yearly cultural event known across the Netherlands," he says.
Nepal and Nepali films were particularly well represented this year. From feature presentations such as Kagbeni (Dahal) to contemporary politics addressed by Sari Soldiers (Bridgham), Returned (Koenig) and Living Goddess (Whitaker); documentaries and social commentaries such as Malaamee (Thapa), Chhau (Khadka), Children of God (Yi Seung-jun) and Yuddha Chitra (BK and Tseten); through to travelogues, mountains and music such as Return to Nepal (Lang), Daughters of Everest (Sakya and Limbu) and Musicians Call (Bajracharya), the range of genres and locations were impressively diverse.
Neasa Ni Chianain's Fairytale of Kathmandu is a nuanced and penetrating film about honesty and the abuse of power, raising uncomfortable questions which provoked much discussion. The five-episode series for BBC Four entitled A Year in Tibet was another festival highlight, since writer and producer Peter Firstbrook was present to introduce his films and answer questions. Lectures by Pema Wangchuk Dorjee, editor of Sikkim's leading English-language daily Now!, and John Sanday, conservation architect, on their recent research and ongoing work were also well attended and lively.
It's no small achievement that in the few years since 2003, when Mitrasing launched the first Himalayan film festival, the event has done so well. Hundreds of Dutch film goers pay ?10 a session to watch films about the Himalaya, and the festival has already been to Tokyo and may travel to other European countries in the future. Taking the festival on tour would be an excellent next move, as it would ensure further exposure for the film makers and their creations. The large communities of Himalayan heritage residents in the UK and Germany make these countries in particular natural settings for future screenings.
The appetite for Nepal-related events seems to be insatiable in the Netherlands: Nepal Samaj Nederland (NSN), an association established by Nepalis in Holland, organised a one day Nepali film show and public discussion about immigration in Amsterdam a few days after the festival on 21 February.
Mark Turin in Amsterdam
