BFF 2015: “Kamaro” (“A Slave”), Nepal

“Kamaro” (“A Slave”), Nepal, 2015, Arun Deo Joshi, 23’

Kamaro’ (literal translation bonded labor) is a form of slavery practiced in Nepal until the late20th century. A traditional practice, it continued for centuries, especially in the hills and mountain regions of Nepal. The form of slavery has changed, but still practiced in different parts of Nepal, with its variations.
The film Kamaro … a slave is story of a family, who are slaves to a landlord in Sinja valley of Karnali region of Nepal, the most disadvantaged and deprived region of the country. It tells the story of suffering of a ‘Kamaro’ (slave) and his family. It is a story of how the family, along with other slavery, is forced to sexual slavery.
Based on a story of same title by national award winning bestseller writer Mahesh Bikram Shah, this 23′ 14” long movie, is shot extensively in the Sinja valley of Jumla district in Karnali region of Nepal. This story reveals retrospective suffering of slavery bore by protagonist ‘Adane’ as a young child and an adult, where he has to face similar fate even after decades.
The characters of this movie are played mostly by local actors, most of them facing the camera for the first time. The movie gives local flavor, covers local context and uses typical local language to give it a realistic value and feel.