White Sun
White Sun or Seto Surya is a 2016 drama war biographical film directed by Deepak Rauniyar. Written by Deepak Rauniyar, David Barker and Produced by Joslyn Barnes, Danny Glover, Tsering Rhitar Sherpa, and Deepak Rauniyar, under the banner of Aadi Productions with Louverture Films, The Bertha Foundation, Doha Film Institute, The Film Kitchen, Hubert Bals Fund, Mila Productions, Netherlands Fund for Film and Worley Works. The film stars Dayahang Rai and Rabindra Singh Baniya in the lead roles alongside Asha Magrati, Sumi Malla, Amrit Pariyar, Deepak Chetri and Deshbhakta Khanal. The film is based on Nepalese Civil War's conflict between royalists and Maoists.
| White Sun | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| सेतो सुर्य | |
| Directed by | Deepak Rauniyar |
| Produced by | Deepak Rauniyar Joslyn Barnes Tsering Rhitar Sherpa Michel Merkt |
| Written by | Deepak Rauniyar David Barker |
| Starring | Dayahang Rai Rabindra Singh Baniya |
| Music by | Vivek Maddala |
| Cinematography | Mark Ó'Fearghail |
| Edited by | David Barker |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | Nepal Netherlands Qatar United States |
| Language | Nepali |
It world premiered in the Horizons section at the 73rd edition of the Venice Film Festival.[1] It was later screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[2] It was selected as the Nepali entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[3]
Plot
When his father dies, anti-regime partisan Chandra must travel to his remote mountain village after nearly a decade away. Little Pooja is anxiously awaiting the man she thinks is her father, but she's confused when Chandra arrives with Badri, a young street orphan rumored to be his son. Chandra must face his brother Suraj, who was on the opposing side during the Nepali civil war. The two brothers cannot put aside political feelings while carrying their father's body down the steep mountain path to the river for cremation. Suraj storms off in a rage, leaving Chandra with no other men strong enough to help. Under pressure from the village elders, Chandra must seek help from outside the village to obey the rigid caste and discriminatory gender traditions he fought to eliminate during the war. Chandra searches for a solution in neighboring villages, among the police, guests at a local wedding, and rebel guerrillas...
Cast
- Dayahang Rai as Agni / Chandra
- Asha Magrati as Durga
- Rabindra Singh Baniya as Suraj
- Sumi Malla as Pooja
- Amrit Pariyar as Badri
- Deepak Chetri as Priest
- Deshbhakta Khanal as Uncle
Awards
| Awards | Category | Recipient(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fribourg International Film Festival | Audience award | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Won |
| Don Quixote Award | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Won | |
| Ecumenical Jury Award | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Won | |
| Special Mention | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Won | |
| Grand Prix | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Nominated | |
| Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards | Best Asian Film | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Nominated |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | New Voices/New Visions Grand Jury Prize | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Won |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | KNF Award | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Nominated |
| Singapore International Film Festival | Best Film | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | Interfilm Award | Deepak Rauniyar (director) Aadi Productions (production company) Louverture Films (production company) Waterland Film (co-production) Match Factory, The (distributor) |
Won |
| Best Film | Deepak Rauniyar (director) | Nominated |
See also
References
- Neil Young (5 September 2016). "'White Sun' ('Seto Surya'): Film Review Venice 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- Cameron Bailey. "White Sun - Seto Surya". TIFF. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- Bhushan, Nyay (21 August 2017). "Oscars: Nepal Selects 'White Sun' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
