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After the earthquake: Young Nepali filmmakers show reality of life one year on

by Cormac O'Brien | cormacwobrien | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Friday, 22 April 2016 09:21 GMT

Making 107.2/Accountability Lab

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* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Five Nepali filmmakers document the stories behind last Spring's devastating earthquake

On April 25, 2015 a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, United Nations figures tell us that it resulted in the deaths of over 9,000 people with 22,000 injured. A second earthquake struck on May 12 and there were numerous subsequent aftershocks.

Today many people are still displaced and in need of humanitarian aid. 

While there was plenty of coverage of the earthquakes, little included authentic Nepali voices, explaining the experience in their own terms. These films are the first collective effort to highlight some of the failings in the earthquake response. In this way, the filmmakers hope they will play a critical role in spurring debate about what went wrong, what went right, and how improvements can be made before the next earthquake strikes. The films are being launched at a film festival in Kathmandu around the first anniversary of the disaster.  

The Accountability Lab and Onion Films mobilized 5 young Nepali filmmakers from their network to tell the stories behind the disaster. The students highlighted accountability issues- the problems with the government and donor response and the challenges of rebuilding- but focused on positive stories of resilience and hope.

All five films are available via  Building Resilience  and were made with the editorial support of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 

Without You- Laxmi is the wife of a Nepali migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, who is struggling to survive in Kathmandu. After the earthquake, in difficult circumstances, Laxmi continues to raise her family but finds very little support.

Rise and Fall- The Park View Horizon building was constructed with great fanfare in Kathmandu as an earthquake-resistant skyscraper. When the earthquake hit, it was irreparably damaged, posing a huge safety risk for its residents and those in the surrounding area. Soon Ramesh- a local resident- considers taking the situation into his own hands.

107.2- Community radio is the most popular news medium in Nepal, particularly in very remote areas. A radio station called Radio Melamchi was destroyed in the disaster, but the team quickly improvised to continue providing disaster recovery information to their local community, despite huge challenges.

Beyond the Trail- The Tsum valley, one of the most remote parts of Nepal, was badly affected by the earthquakes. Due to the terrain, the government and aid agencies couldn't access the region for months. Chandra walks for days to reach the victims of the disaster, and finds a community struggling to rebuild their lives.

Back Again To Rise- Fish farming provides an important source of income for citizens in rural Nepal. Kanchi lost her fish farm, livelihood, home and family members in the earthquake. A year later, her life remains in ruins and she seems to have few options for a better future. 

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