Interview with Shelnang Mugum Tamang on His Short Film Jhalho

CD: Why did you decide to make films and what was your inspiration?

KS: When I was very young I watched a lot of movies, which is one reason for my interest.  I know how enthralling films can be for people, so I see it as a powerful medium. After completing my studies in the monastery, I became the liaison for the media and film organizations that contacted the monastery as part of my work for the monastery office. I would coordinate their activity, such as filming in the monastery grounds, which gave me some experience in film and that is when I began to feel a wish to try this myself, even though it seemed so complicated. A few years ago Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche [himself a well known filmmaker under the name Khyentse Norbu] visited the monastery and somebody must have mentioned my interest to him, as he called me and asked some questions and then offered me a scholarship to do a course in filmmaking. I was given permission by Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, so that is how I came to attend the “Himalayan Film School” which is held at Deer Park Institute in Bir each year and is facilitated by an Indian Filmmaker Ankit Pogula. The course is a one-week intensive. After that I felt more confident to give it a try.

CD: And by then you also had quite a few friends in the film industry in Nepal, because of hosting films at the monastery.

KS: Yes so those connections were very helpful. After that I decided to make a short film. My first attempt was not so good and I don’t show it. It was seven minutes long, about a monk and a blind person. Then after the earthquakes in 2015 I got an idea for a feature film, after I learned that two young monks felt very homesick after the earthquake in 2015.and that some of the young monks wanted to see their parents, someone to take care of them. I was very touched by this story. During that time our monks also were strongly involved in a lot of relief activities for victims of the earthquake, so my intention was to make a feature film which would tell the story of these young monks as well as highlighting the activities of our monastery. So I wrote the script, about 100 pages, but when I tried to take the idea further, I came across obstacles because the Nepal Film Development Board does not allow someone to direct a feature film without fulfilling certain criteria. In the end I was not able to continue with that film as it is necessary to have made at least two short films, or to have assisted a movie director, or to have won awards or nominations in film festivals for a short film.

CD: So what happened then?

I changed my mind and decided to make a short film, which became the film Jhalo.

CD: So this will help you make a feature film in the future! You have been nominated and won awards for this short film.

KS: Yes.

CD: Will you need to make one more short film before you can make a feature film?

KS: I think this is enough; their rules say that if your film is nominated for some festivals and international festivals, then they will give permission.

CD: Please tell us a bit about your short film, “Jhalo”.

KS: The film is called Jha Lho, which means “Year of the Bird”.

My team consisted of really good filmmakers. When I first started I didn’t have a scriptwriter or experienced filmmakers. Also my ideas and style were more like Nepali commercial movies – commercial and Bollywood style. I met some good filmmakers and they changed my style of filmmaking and ideas and gave me some very sound advice. I also received guidance from Abinash Bikram Shah, who is a well-known scriptwriter. So as a group we started to work closely and they formed a scriptwriting retreat for me. At 4pm every day when I finished my work in the office, I would go to his house and d0 intensive training in scriptwriting.

CD: From there how did you come up with this story?

KS: At the end, after six months, he asked whether I had any stories of my own. I said yes and that I wanted to share some negative things. We say “shakpa” meaning confession. I want to share this with the audience, the anger and guilt that I was feeling. It took one month to develop this idea and write the script and shoot the film.

Scene from the film featuring Dordzin Trinley and a young monk both from Shechen Monastery

CD: So that is Jhalo?

KS: yes. So Jhalo is my sign [according to astrology] (laughs)

CD: so this is a bit about your story?

KS: Not just a little, this is completely my story! (laughs). There are two characters: one is played by Dordzin Thinley, [the head of the hostel of the Shechen School]. The other character’s name is Paljor, who plays the story of my guilt. I have guilt about my parents. When I first became a monk I did not have any idea what was happening. My father stayed with me for a week at the monastery, and then was suddenly gone. That time I felt completely lost. I had come from a very far away village. I felt like I had completely lost my father, that he had abandoned me. This was my misunderstanding, but I only realised this later when I was older. I ended up confronting my father about why he had put me in the monastery. I said to him, “I didn’t decide to be a monk. I was too young to make that decision. My father replied, “The reason why I put you in the monastery at such a young age is because I felt your mind was still flexible and you could easily learn the monastic education.” After asking my father, then I felt a bit guilty about my anger towards him. So these two emotions I wanted to share with the audience, and this is the story the two characters play.

CD: Can you tell us whether you have any future projects? I know you have been working on a film for the monastery to tell people about the Shechen School.

KS: Our school principal approached me with this idea, and I felt very happy to help with this. This took me back to the school that was the subject of my short film. The school had supported me a lot and had brought me success, so I wanted to give back.

CD: So, your short film is about your emotional struggle when you joined the school, and the latest film celebrates the same school.

KS: Yes. The school’s principal wants to share with the donors more in depth about the school activities. Through film more could be shared. Another thing is to show anyone who is interested in helping the monastery and to see what we can do.

CD: So what next? Back to your feature film?

KS: I attended many film festivals and so on, but I always check with Rinpoche first. For example, when my film was first nominated for the 21^st Busan International Film Festival in Korea, in October 2016, I received an email about it and I was invited to attend. I was happy, but I was not that excited, until I could speak to Rinpoche and check what his thoughts were about it. So I asked Rabjam Rinpoche what I should do. Rinpoche listened then shortly after sent me a message that he had contacted some friends in Korea so that I can stay with them. Having his encouragement and support, I became excited about it. My producers had congratulated me, and asked when I was leaving for Korea, but I had said “No, I am waiting for Rinpoche.”

In the same way, for the nomination I received in Switzerland. I waited for Rinpoche’s approval.

CD: What other festivals nominated the film and what awards did it win?

KS: In Kathmandu it was nominated for two film festivals, in Kathmandu the Ekadeshma International Short Film Festival and the 5^th Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival, where it won the best Fiction Film National Panorama Award in 2017.

Outside of Kathmandu it was nominated for the 2^nd Pokhara International Mountain Film Festival 2016 and the International Film Festival of Nepal (IFFON) in Dharan, where it won a National Panorama Award. Internationally, other than Busan in Korea, the film was also nominated for the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), and recently for the Palm Springs Festival in California.

Some of my friends in the film industry, who had really encouraged me, were still very amazed at my sudden success. Others who have studied for six years never ended up making films. So I feel very fortunate.

Interview conducted by Charlotte Davis for the Shechen Newsletter.