White Sun Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
In White Sun, a Maoist rebel returns home to bury his Royalist father after peace has been reached in the Nepali Civil War. He comes face-to-face with a neighborhood that fought against him in the war. Will he be welcomed back or will old enemies and hatred be rekindled?
As usual only watch he first 40 secs of this trailer, unless you’re happy to venture into spoiler territory!
Why Watch White Sun?
- To see a film from Nepal (a country not known for it’s films)
- For an opportunity to learn about the Nepali Civil War (fought from 1996-2006) something that I didn’t know anything about!
- See Nepal’s beautiful scenery and cultural diversity whilst learning a bit about Nepali customs and tradition as well!
- It’s a comedy! But not just a comedy – you will learn a lot along the way
The Breakdown
The first thing you notice in White Sun is the beautiful scenery. It opens with a widescreen shot of mountainous hills with Himalayan peaks in the background. We can hear a radio playing in the background: a peace deal has been reached between the Maoists and the Royalists, putting an end to the 10 year Civil War.
In the next scene a Maoist rebel returns home from the city. He has come home after a long absence to bury his Royalist father. From the start he is neither welcomed by his family and former neighbors and does not seem too happy to be home. It is clear that the recent peace deals have not healed the wounds of the recent Civil War.
This village also hasn’t forgotten the caste system that the Maoists fought to eradicate. In this rural town, a young boy thinks he isn’t human (he thinks he’s a porter) and women pollute the dead (by simply touching them).
Conclusion
While relations between the returning Maoist and the traditional village folk festers, the children offer a vision for a peaceful future. This is a heart-warming but insightful film that explores the lasting effects of the Nepali Civil War.