KATHMANDU– The Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) grandly kicked off in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, on April 2. As the highlight film of the “Xizang Panorama” section at this year’s festival, the Chinese film Snow Leopard was screened at Chhaya Center at 4 p.m. on the same day. The full film delegation was in attendance and held a lively exchange session with the on-site media and audience after the screening, to jointly discuss this remarkable cinematic work reflecting the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.
The atmosphere at Chhaya Center was vibrant on the day. A cultural landmark in the Thamel District of Kathmandu, Chhaya Center has hosted many major film and cultural exchange events including “Chinese Film Day”, and stands as an important witness to China-Nepal film exchanges. At 4 p.m., the screening hall was packed to capacity, with local Nepalese audiences, international film festival selectors, Chinese nationals living in Nepal and a number of international media outlets gathering together to watch this outstanding film from China.
This year marks the second time that the Nepal International Film Festival has set up the “Xizang Panorama” section, which aims to present the natural landscapes, cultural customs and social development ofthe Xizang Autonomous Region of China through the art of cinema. As the opening film of this section, Snow Leopard depicts the complex and delicate relationship between humans and wild animals on the snow-covered plateau with its unique artistic perspective and profound humanistic care. During the screening, the audience was deeply captivated by the magnificent natural scenery and delicate emotional narrative of the film. A round of prolonged applause erupted in the hall at the end of the screening.
At the subsequent exchange session, members of the film delegation engaged in in-depth interactions with the on-site audience. The delegation shared the filming process of the film on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and told the behind-the-scenes stories of the creative team, which overcame numerous difficulties such as high altitudes and extreme weather conditions and spent several years on follow-up shooting. The creative team stated that as a keystone species of the plateau ecosystem, the living conditions of snow leopards are not only crucial to biodiversity conservation, but also reflect the profound proposition of how humans and nature can coexist in harmony. Through authentic cinematic records, the film seeks to arouse public attention to ecological protection and also showcase China’s efforts and achievements in ecological civilization construction to the world. The delegation also specifically mentioned thatthe Xizang Autonomous Region of China has made remarkable achievements in the field of ecological protection in recent years, with a steady recovery in the snow leopard population, which is a vivid example of the ecological civilization concept taking deep root on the snow-covered plateau.
The on-site media and audience spoke highly of the film. Many Nepalese filmmakers noted that China and Nepal, located on the northern and southern sides of the Himalayas respectively, share similar ecological environments and cultural traditions, and the themes presented in Snow Leopard hold strong practical significance and emotional resonance in Nepal as well. A spectator from Kathmandu said during the exchange that the film reminded him of the snow-capped mountains in his hometown and the wild animals that live side by side with humans, and such cross-border natural emotions are deeply touching.
The 9th Nepal International Mountain Film Festival is held from April 2 to 6. According to the festival organizers, this year’s festival, themed “Future Forward”, focuses on the creativity and vitality of young filmmakers, screening a total of 88 films from 40 countries, covering feature films, documentaries, short films and the much-anticipated AI-generated films and other categories. In addition to the “Xizang Panorama” section, the festival also features several sections including the International Competition Section and the Special Screening of Mountain Culture.
As the festival unfolds further, outstanding films from all over the world will continue to shine on the silver screens of Kathmandu. The debut of the Chinese film Snow Leopard as the opening film of the “Xizang Panorama” section has not only allowed Nepalese audiences to appreciate the artistic charm of Chinese cinema, but also presented the achievements of ecological civilization construction in Xizang and the beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature to the international community through the power of moving images, contributing a unique and precious cinematic strength to enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and Nepal. Just as the philosophy advocated by this year’s festival – to “celebrate narratives from around the world” through films – Snow Leopard, with its unique Oriental narrative, has composed a touching movement about the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature at the southern foot of the Himalayas.
