groups of women all help each other
this woman has the most incredible eyes - and smile
Back to the dusty bustle of Kathmandu. Sophie and I have been luxuriating in the delights of hot showers, red wine and restaurants with menus after nearly four weeks in Jumla.
Our time in that remote corner of the Himalayas was truly extraordinary. Sophie shot a lot of amazing footage. We found a deeper connection to the people over the course of our time there, becoming more embedded in the community. At times, it was hard. Not the most comfortable of living conditions, and four weeks can feel like a long time. At times, it was rewarding. When a man we were interviewing told us that meeting us and seeing the work we were doing had changed his perspective on his daughters’ potential in life, it was a magic moment.
There is so much more to say and photos to post – all coming soon. For now, I need to say goodbye to Sophie as we are leaving for the airport soon. In addition to admiring her incredible work, those of you who know me well will be impressed that she has managed to spend five weeks solidly with me, often sleeping in the same room – and we are still friends! We have shared an incredible journey and this is just the beginning of a project that is going to take us to many more places, literally in a geographical sense, as well as professionally, spiritually and emotionally to name but a few. I am sad to see her go and it also feels like a significant moment as it marks the end of this first stage of the project.
I am now looking forward - towards the next phase of reviewing (and translating) the footage and delving back into the planning stages for the next shooting session when Sophie returns in March.
Sophie and I are very excited to be settled in to our room at Amar Sandesh Guest House in Jumla Bazaar – the main town in Jumla. It seems like the height of luxury to us as we have electricity ALL night (there is even a TV) and most thrilling of all, we have an attached bathroom with a toilet, shower and sink that has running water, albeit cold. It really is quite extraordinary how novel this all seems to us after just a few weeks, but it seems like a long time since we didn’t have to get dressed and go outside (usually down some rickety stairs, hunched over so as not to hit our heads on anything) to go pee in the middle of the night. Now we are living the high life!
This is it. We are about to embark on the first shoot - although we have already shot some interviews and landscape footage, or "B Roll" during our time in Pokhara, so technically, we have begun shooting.
We are in Nepalganj with our invaluable production assistant, Nisha. We have just travelled 11 hours by private jeep from Pokhara - a vehicle big enough to accommodate the three of us and a significant amount of baggage although not when you consider we are a mobile film crew.
Already, as with any production, we have had our share of mishaps, hopefully, getting them out the way early. One of our brand new 2 TB drives started sounding like an electronic percussion instrument. We were due to leave Pokhara at 6am the next morning and I wasn't sure we'd get to Nepalganj in time to buy more drives so it was a mad dash on the back of the bike with Sabeen (from my family at Bishnu Lodge, the guest house that is my home in Pokhara), to see if we could find an open computer store. Everything was shut but Sabeen, being a resourceful lad, went round the back of a shop I had spotted as we'd headed into town and luckily the shopkeeper was still there. Two new drives and a big dent out of the contingency pot. But ke garné?
We made it to Nepalganj which is on the southern Terai of west Nepal. Tomorrow morning, all being well, we are due to fly to Jumla. This really is it.
Our tickets are now booked. We arrive in Nepal at the end of October. I have a tentative schedule in place, so things are becoming more of a reality as each day passes. Soon the vision will be more than just an idea in my head.