During the year of pandemic lockdowns, 2020, Belmaya won a commission by UK Asian Film Festival for their Ray of Hope strand, supported by Arts Council England, to create a 3min film. In collaboration with Simi Carpenter (Sue’s daughter), who wrote and sang the original song Stronger, the film expresses girls’ desire to break free from parental and societal constraints. The film premiered at UKAFF 2021 and is currently on the international festival circuit.
Synopsis
‘I wanna be free, I wanna be me,’ the refrain of Simi Carpenter’s song Stronger, captures one girl’s desire for autonomy. But the cry is universal. An artistic evocation of our yearning to be ourselves, told through the voice of a girl in rural Nepal. The pain of suppression is released in a frenzy of dancing, colour and joy, as she takes charge of her own life and is finally free.
Director, camera: Belmaya Nepali
Original music: Simi Carpenter
Producer, editor: Sue Carpenter
I AM BELMAYA 