Although Nepal and Israel are geographically far away, there are many common things they share.  Among many others, Nepalese audiences prefer Israeli films. Like in the past, the number of visitors rushing to Russian Culture Center is a testimony to this.


Inaugurated by Nepal’s prominent film actor Rajesh Hamal, the four-day film festival, May 2-6, showed many interesting films produced in Israel.


“This traditional film festival is part of various activities the Israeli Embassy is promoting for cooperation and development. The good relations between Israel and Nepal have brought a double interest of Israelis in the Nepali culture and Nepalese in the Israeli reality and culture. I hope this will bring a little taste on day to day dilemmas existing in our society. The Israeli reality is a unique reality and it is being mirrored at the films shown today and in the coming three days. These six films in this festival present a variety of issues in our reality,” said Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder-Goldberger.


The first film Mabul revealed the life of a thirteen-year old boy in a transitional stage of becoming a man. The films, Bena and Borken Wings, dealt with families that had to face loss of loved members of the family.


Films noodle and Nina’s tragedy were in lineup. These films give the story of two youths, child of migrant workers and a 14-year old boy who moves to live with a relative. Then there will be two more films Mabul again and Walk on Water on an Israeli Mossad secret agent that means a grandson of ex-Nazi officer.  The films deal with families in stress. This is a part of campaign we take this month to promote awareness to people with special needs.


“One photo is better than a thousand words to describe a reality. I think a film is similar to one thousand photos,” said ambassador Goldberger.


Films have become an important medium to reach people around the world and exchange cultures, values and traditions among them.  Films give insight of a country and represent the people and their languages.  Films also bring humor and realities in front, in other words, it is a language that people use to bring awareness and express satirical thoughts.


This year, the Embassy brought six Israeli films for the international film lovers. The films comprise some heart touching family drama, and tragedy, dealing with adolescence, disability and history.  The Embassy has themed this year’s film festival as “People with special needs” and tries to link it with Embassy’s other projects on ‘People with Special Needs’ and a special project for the visually impaired people which will take place in 2012.