4 years ago
Journalist Manchhiring Tamang of Dhading, Nepal has been awarded with Best Documentary Award at the Newark Short Film Festival in New Jersey, USA. He was awarded for the documentary ‘A Day in the Life of a Himalayan Shepherd’. It is a 20-minute film about sheep farming in his birthplace in Dhading.
The documentary is about Khariman Tamang, 45, of Sertung, Dhading, who has followed his father and grandfather’s footsteps to be involved in animal husbandry, raising sheeps. It shows the difficulties in his life and how he has been able to support his family of two sons and a daughter along with his wife.
The director has tried to present Khariman’s dilemma of whether to allow his children to follow his profession.
Recently his film also won the ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Music’ awards in August 2019 in Toronto and the first runner-up award for Best Documentary at the Colony International Short Film Festival held in March 2018 in Ohio, USA.
The film has been screened at the Tryon International Film Festival, Seth International Film Festival London, Hudson Valley Film Festival, New York, Kansas City Underground Film Festival, Australian Independent International Film Festival and Chicago Aladaerri International Film Festival.
Director Tamang said that his aim was to raise the issues and problems faced by shepherds. He said that he wants to create an environment conducive to the disappearing Himalayan animal husbandry business.
