Solar Power, Camera, Action!

Solar Cinema Nepal

Solar Cinema Nepal is a nomadic project that travels through Nepali villages in the Himalayas. Using solar-powered recording equipment, the team works with villagers to create shorts films that shine a light on local issues.

Autor*in Anna Rees, 02.03.15

Solar Cinema Nepal is a nomadic project that travels through Nepali villages in the Himalayas. Using solar-powered recording equipment, the team works with villagers to create shorts films that shine a light on local issues.

The project, which launched in 2013 and is run by Swiss Solar Culture with support from SDC Nepal and Helvetas Nepal, looks to give a platform to the inhabitants of small communities and uses film to instigate a broader discusion about the problems and issues that these villages face.

The team travels from village to village (with mules to carry the solar and film equipment). Upon arrival, they charge the equipment using the solar panels and encourage villagers to take part and produce a short film about a localised topic of relevance to them. Some of the themes that have shaped the produced films include attitudes and practices surrounding female menstruation and how these can be improved; the economic challenges that villages are confronted with; how new approaches to irrigation are boosting local harvests; local healthcare and illness; as well as an analysis of school systems in the region.

Each film is cut and edited and after nearly a week, a screen is strung up and a screening is held, where the team uses a projector, video player and speaker to show the village’s film alongside one of a selection Nepali feature films that tackle the caste system; the habit of migrating from a village for better work prospects elsewhere; and women’s emancipation, among others.

The project directly engages people in cultural development work, with the Swiss Solar Culture team adopting a ‘hands off’ approach, assisting and demonstrating basic film and camera techniques but allowing the villagers to tell their story their way. According to the team, the project is an articulation platform designed to ignite or support dialogue among residents about the issues of life in their village.

To keep track of the project, head to the dedicated Facebook page or website. If you understand German, head to this much more detailed page for info on the films and videos of the project itself.

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