The Big-Headed Boy, Shamans & Samurais

In a remote Nepalese mountain village, directors Bibhusan Basnet and Pooja Gurung are looking for suitable actors for their film. But when they find the perfect boy to play the lead role, the local shaman doesn’t want to let him go, because he might be the savior of the village.

With grainy black-and-white footage of life in the village, this account of the filmmakers’ quest has the characteristics of an ethnographic film. In a diary-form commentary, they talk about their search for actors. They reflect on the villagers’ way of life, the poverty, and the approaching modern world, as well as the reasons behind their work and methods. The village reminds them of the villages of Akira Kurosawa, or perhaps Béla Tarr. And why are they actually filming that buffalo standing outside in the monsoon rain? Audio clips of famous speeches add an extra layer of meaning to this intriguing essay.