This issue of Saathee magazine was astounding, largely due to the fantastic Dilip Barman’s Interview of Julie Bridgman, film director and producer.
You have to understand, Julie is one of those real life heroes that I admire greatly. She lives a wonderful, monumental life helping the helpless, listening to the voiceless, and recording the powerless’s tales for posterity.
As you can see from this brief bio included in the article, she lives what other people think about doing.
The Sari Soldiers is produced and directed by Julie Bridgham, a Sundance Institute Documentary Fellow. For this film, she was awarded the 2008 Nestor Almendros Prize for courage and commitment in human rights filmmaking at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Over the past six years, she has lived for extended periods in Nepal where she produced and directed numerous documentaries including several for the United Nations (U.N.) and the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation. She has produced and directed numerous global documentary series, including for the BBC, Discovery Channel, and TLC. She had previously worked in Costa Rica for a U.N. environmental project and in Bolivia as a researcher for a human rights organization.
Sure her film is good and full of breathtaking scenery. Not the point.
The Sari Soldiers is a work that I encourage every community to watch. This is important, not just for the people of Nepal and raising awareness, but for the entire world. Nepal is front and center upon the new geopolitical stage. It lies on the border between the 21 Century’s two looming superpowers, China and India. It just underwent a revolution, after a long civil war waged by Communist rebels. This fledging democracy is impoverished, yet holds immense promise and could serve as a dynamic doorway between East and West, North and South, Old and New. Nepal is a sparkling cultural jewel of world heritage, home to one of the oldest kingdoms, steeped in history, culture, and religion. Long sought out as a place of pilgrimage, Nepal will continue to be a vital link among peoples and civilizations.
I’ve been a longtime supporter of women’s rights and have worked for years to highlight the plight of Nepalese women and children. Many things are troubling, but especially the depravity and sexual abuses via world sex trafficking trade in Nepal needs immediate attention and resolution.
Ms. Bridgham’s latest documentary covers the role of women in the recent struggles to wrest control from a monarchy and establish democracy. It is like having a camera on location at the founding of AMerica. This is a priceless resource in the history of Nepal.
This is another reason people like Julie Bridgham are so important. By shining lights into the darker corners of the worlds, she helps make the world safer for all of us. By illuminating the plight of specific peoples, she informs all of humanity. She helps make the world a better place.
Dillip has done a great job in the interview. His site is also chock full of useful information on all fronts. But please, read it, listen to it, absorb every word. You will thank me when you’re done.