Returning to Jumla : Fourth & Final

We are in Pokhara - me Sophie, Nisha and awaiting the arrival of the fourth member of our team, Soraj. Tomorrow we will all pile all of our stuff and selves into a jeep for the 14 hour drive to Nepalgunj. The convenient direct flight from KTM via Pokhara to Jumla no longer exists, so we must fly from Nepalgunj to Jumla.

None of us are too excited about the late summer heat that Nepalgunj will press down on us, or the enthusiasm of the mosquitos there, but hopefully we will get on our flight to Jumla the following morning so our time in the dusty border town will be brief.


Returning to Jumla at this time of year is going to feel quite different - at least in terms of the post-monsoon greener landscape. I suspect it will also feel different because we know this is our last shoot, the last time the team will work together in this capacity, possibly the last time all four of us will be in Jumla together.

Being our fourth time, the experience of shooting in Jumla has become so familiar to all of us. We know what we are doing, we are accustomed to the terrain now, we are returning to friends. For Sophie and me, it feels a little like returning home; for Soraj and Nisha, it is returning home (as neither of them lives in Jumla at the moment).

We know what to expect. But as with all documentary film making, we also don't know what will happen.

Following the shoot, we will be continuing with the translation process and getting deeper into the actual edit. A finished product still seems like a distant reality.

Sometimes it feels quite mind-boggling how much work lies ahead, but when I think of how far we have come, from my first visit to Jumla in May 2010, when I had the idea that we should make a film about the women I was watching dance around the training room - when I think about all we have achieved since that moment, my mind boggles even more.

Found in Translation

Jumla feels like a cinematic dream. Another world, far removed from the daily bustle of life in Kathmandu. The shoot in March is a distant memory until it comes to life on my screen as I work with my translators on the footage. We are slowly working our way through the new batch of hours of footage, painstakingly translating and transcribing - logging what everyone said in those moments so we can edit their words into our story.

When we first started this project, I have to admit, I didn't really quite think through the reality of making a film in a language I don't speak (sadly, my Nepali/Jumli is still very basic). This is not an issue that will ultimately hinder the making of our film, but it does mean that it is a slow process. A lot of time will be spent on translation.

When we are shooting it can be frustrating at times when conversation is flowing and we only have an inkling of what is going on. Usually Soraj is making notes, so I can peer over his shoulder to get a sense of the topic. But I would love to be able to really talk to the people. These are not just subjects in a film we are making, but many have become friends and family. It is amazing the bonds one can forge without a common language.

An interesting element of the process of translating is finding out things that were said, deeper levels of conversation, that were missed by us at the time of shooting. And somehow, neither Soraj or Nisha thought to tell us!  It is a journey I hadn't anticipated, delving deeper into situations we filmed, whilst sitting at my desk in Kathmandu. It feeds my inspiration as we go along and the ideas flow with a better understanding. Although slow-going, I don't find the translating process difficult or tedious in the slightest. It is so inspiring. I am working with bright, young women, Hindu and Sarita, who are clearly enjoying the process themselves as they find out more about the characters in this community - a world so different to the one they were brought up in growing up in Kathmandu. And as we review, me transcribing their translations, I'm finding out pieces of our story that I missed when I was standing right there. I am finding out what the footage actually holds beyond what we can merely see.

Excerpts of Notes Home from Sophie

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During our shooting time in Urthu-Chautara, even though we didn't have access to email, Sophie would write notes home while downloading footage, to be sent when we  returned to Jumla Bazaar. 

Here are some extracts:

 

27 February 2013

We finally landed in Jumla last Thursday after our plane to Jumla Bazaar was delayed.  After landing in Pokhara to refuel, (and steal a couple of shots) we took off from Pokhara airport, flew over the lake with the beautiful hill top temple and along the Himalaya.  The mountains were wearing deep capes of snow, which almost seemed close enough to touch and were shrouded in monumental sledges of thunderous cloud.  Our pilots discussed a particularly ominous bank that we were approaching and made the decision to return to Pokhara.  It was a quick decision and we were soon back at the airport to stay the night until the weather cleared.  Our extra afternoon in Pokhara meant some unplanned filming, which was useful, and an additional "last" dinner of meat!

We noticed when disembarking that there was an extra passenger - a woman who had been initially refused a seat because someone had made a mistake and oversold the flight in Kathmandu. The weeping and wailing had delayed the flight by an hour but we had assumed she had been turned away.  Since we were also massively over our excess baggage limit  - to the point where we were almost refused - we knew they had been very carefully weighing every passenger’s luggage to see if the plane could manage with the extra (large) foreigners and their extra large camera bags.    When we saw that she had been squeezed into the back of the plane we wondered how they had managed all of our stuff AND an extra person.  The answer was that they had decided to fly on less than a full tank of fuel.  My first thought was how marvelous that we had all got to fly, even with all our stuff and extra people.  The second was, hmmm… that doesn't leave much room for mistakes!  It certainly makes for a very different kind of journey than the 747 - but it is easily the most incredible flight I have ever taken.  When we finally took off the next morning the sky was cloudless, and we were treated to the most spectacular views along the Himalaya that I've ever seen. 

Arriving in Jumla Bazaar felt much less strange this time around - friendly faces were there to greet us and we soon packed a jeep and headed up the mountain pass to Urthu-Chautara, where we quickly moved into our old familiar rooms.  This year they had added a few more hooks in the wall (small things become suddenly important), correctly wired the light and added a nice mat to each bed, as well as laying some "carpet" which keeps the dust down a bit.  We can actually stand up in this house, which means both Miranda and I have a lot less head bruises than the first time around.  

The weather has been cold, but generally bright during the day. We're bundled up - it hasn't been bitter during the day time yet, at least.  We had one rainfall during the night, and though the hillsides are still coated in snow, we've not had any snowfall.  Generally, trudging up and down the hillsides with gear keeps one pretty toasty during the day.  I finally had a hot bucket wash last night, which was well needed, and we came armed with hot water bottles, which certainly makes bed time quite snug.  Soraj came down with flu a few days in, and has now mildly twisted his ankle, so our shooting days have been adjusted accordingly.  I've been a bit under the weather too, but am pounding the vit C and trying not to think about hot baths and lemon toddies.  There's plenty of hot spicy soup around though, so I've been drinking hot ginger water and feeling determined it won't turn into anything.  Thankfully the fried rakshi (local alcohol) is quite "medicinal" as it's got garlic and other unknowns and definitely helps sleep.  

Our original plan to travel back down to Jumla Bazaar in the middle of the shoot was hampered by our schedule and the logistics of the Jeep availability.  Apparently some road had become inaccessible and a few jeeps were stuck in another region.  Petrol was also scarce.  At the moment we've had no power for 24 hours, so batteries are low and we've been conserving our shooting, though I'm using the last of my computer battery to download the footage we shot this morning, so I'm taking advantage of that to sit and write for a minute or two.  It's starting to get dark, and it's really cold, but the hardy children are outside my window using their engineering skills to make a see-saw out of several large pipes that are intended for a local hydro power project.  Laughing little filthy urchins left to their own devices!

3 March 2013

Miranda and I tried pounding corn the other day - which was interesting to the whole village apparently, and we caused quite a scene.  They found our incompetence very entertaining.   It was a beautiful afternoon on a rooftop overlooking the whole valley - and the rhythm of watching other women do this task in pairs is very mesmerizing.  Our attempt was more like a comedy routine - and we only felt we had worked of a fraction of the rice that we've been gorging ourselves on the last couple of weeks.  Our hopes to become slightly high altitude slim have been dashed by the good cooking in this household, and the local potatoes, which are served deliciously for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea and dinner.  

Anyway - we've now got only one more day of shooting - and we've a got a few key interviews to cram in, so it shall be a busy day. This evening we showed some footage to Nisha's mum - who is really sad that we are leaving. I think our entertaining bideshi (foreigner) ways have brought a different kind of stimulation to the household.  They have been so welcoming and open. Meantime - we are also REALLY looking forward to a hot shower in Jumla Bazaar - which is probably where this email is coming from though it means the end of the shoot - and that's always sad.

5 March 2013

Tearful goodbyes today as I left Urthu.  Beautiful necklaces of Rhododendrum leaves, red tikkas and me sad to leave my lovely Jumla home.    Now we are back in the "big city" of Jumla Bazaar and have procured some whiskey and are slightly dazed by our room with sheets and pillows and carpet and doors tall enough to walk through without cracking our skulls. And Norbu, the proprietor of our hotel/building site is making apple pie for dinner.  And supposedly, roast chicken… Let's see how that turns out!!

Fingers crossed our flights are on time - the weather has been quite clear and bright the last few days but tonight some ominous clouds drew in.  (nice time-lapse though!)

xxx Love you all, talk to you soon.

Soph

Jumla shoot III ~ behind the scenes

Urthu-Chautara, Jumla 

shoot III

We have just completed another two weeks of shooting in Jumla, this time exclusively in the village of Urthu-Chautara where we have now become a familiar sight on the high street. The shoot has gone really well and this time, knowing everyone that much more, we have delved deeper into the lives of our friends in this intimate mountain community. We are so grateful to everyone in the village for their warm welcoming hospitality and for sharing their daily existence with us.

Sophie balancing on the edge of a roof

 

view of village from the hillside

Nisha with her mother Rusu and aunt Bishnu in the kitchen

Nisha and Soraj
(his hair brought much joy to our shoot, occasionally being mistaken for a microphone)

Soraj very happy to have 'baby' (our nickname for the camera)

 

stand-off with a buffalo

the high street corner where it all happens...

...and a seemingly endless stream of donkeys

photo moment

Sophie found a camera assistant

Rusu wondering at our 'second sound' recorder complete with red fluffy wind shield

Khamani singing

We were bracing ourselves for the cold weather and the nights and mornings were pretty chilly when we arrived. However, it wasn't quite as cold as we were expecting  and when the sun came out in the middle of the day, especially walking around with all our gear, the layers started coming off.

Sophie was thrilled at the newest addition to the team, Missy

Soph thought it would be fun to try our hands at beating grain - much to the bemusement of the villagers...

...and our amusement too

men's work - women are not allowed to plough the fields (they just do almost everything else)

more irresistibly cute (and grubby) kids to take pictures of...

and kids to shoot too

We stayed with Nisha's family. The way they fed us you would think we arrived looking undernourished. Certainly not the case by the end of two weeks with a nightly pre-dinner serving of potatoes!

Hai Kali (Nisha's bauju or sister-in-law)

tea/nap break at the end of the shoot - have we worn our our team?

at least we have ducks in a line

Now with another shoot in the metaphorical can, we have another (rather large) batch of footage to review and eventually translate and transcribe. This journey continues to be a lengthy process but we all feel very lucky to be sharing in this experience. We are making something not only beautiful, but we believe, important too.

last day on the roof - plane spotting

the Shakti team! so much love!

Jumla Tomorrow

Sophie arrived in Kathmandu to find a national strike (bandah) in place in Nepal. This meant that normal taxis were not running. The streets were full of people wandering and children playing. The usual mayhem of tooting motorcycles and gridlocked traffic completely gone. This also meant that picking her up from the airport was a bit more challenging. There were tourist buses (with special green plates) still able to move about the traffic-free streets, so after rearranging a few things, she found her way to a comfortable room after her gruelling 36 hour journey from Los Angeles.

No time for jet-lag as the whole team (Soph, Miranda, Soraj & Nisha) is set to leave for Jumla tomorrow morning. We are all bracing ourselves for the cold as the ground is covered in snow there - and if I thought Kathmandu was cold in the winter with no heating, I better hold on to my ear muffs as this is going to be a whole new level of chill.

We are all very excited to be returning to Jumla and grateful to our supporters that made our recent fund-raising campaign such a success.

Happy New Year! We Did It!

We are thrilled to say that we reached our target for the indiegogo campaign. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make it possible. Once again, we are moved by the generosity of everyone from old friends to new acquaintances to even complete strangers!

This film is truly being brought to life by the investment of so many - for us, this makes it everybody's and we intend to do you all proud.

We are preparing for the next shoot in February. Sophie returns to Kathmandu and the next day we head straight to Jumla with our team, Soraj and Nisha.

And the story continues...

Countdown to New Year's Eve

We have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the next round of shooting in 2013! We have until New Year's Eve to raise $9999!

Please watch the trailer to see excerpts of footage from our previous shoots to get a real sense of the work we are doing!

Click here or on the widget to the right.

Thanks for your support.

Miranda & Sophie