Sue is an independent filmmaker who has recently completed a feature documentary based on Belmaya and her life struggles. Sue is a British documentary maker who has been involved in Nepal and women's rights for 20 years. She co-founded Asha Nepal, supporting trafficked women in Nepal, and adopted her daughter from Nepal. in 2006-07 she lived in Pokhara, running the My World, She is now fundraising for a public release of I Am Belmaya in 2021, to bring the film to a wider audience, to raise funds from screenings to channel back to Belmaya and her daughter, and empower more women in Nepal to tell their stories, Our GoFundMe campaign: www.gofundme.com/f/i-am-belmaya-film-fund
I am Belmaya is a tale of rebellion, hope and love in patriarchal Nepal. Silenced and subjugated all her life, uneducated Belmaya takes up the movie camera to change her story. The film is just finished, but as with so many of the arts this year, has been set back by the Covid-19 crisis, with cancelled or limited festivals and theatrical releases. Belmaya has also been personally suffering since March. Now a single mother, she’s been unable to work or earn enough for her rent and food; she has a thyroid disorder, causing lethargy, and has had limited access to medical care; and her 8 year old daughter has been unable to go to school. I have been supporting her, but she is desperate to be independent again. According to the makers, it is a Triple F-rated (written, directed and featuring a woman) feature documentary (82 mins) about an uneducated, low-caste but feisty young woman in patriarchal Nepal, who takes up the movie camera to tell her story - and ends up becoming co-director of this film. Determined to make a better life for her daughter, she stands up to her abusive husband and makes a film about the importance of education for girls. Educate Our Daughters goes on to win hearts and awards, taking Belmaya to places she never dreamed she would go - culminating in a moving and inspiring finale as she wins Best Short Film at the UK Asian Film Festival.
