White Sun

Ten years of civil war in Nepal end. The victorious Maoist rebels draw up a new constitution based on all citizens being equal. But suspicion and resentment die hard. As do ancient traditions – and the persistent problems of the caste system and the oppression of women. Former guerrilla Chandra faces this when he returns home upon the death of his father. Accompanying the body to the cremation, he gets into a fight with his brother, leaving the bier stranded half way up the mountain. Chandra looks for help from the police, his former comrades in arms and other villagers, but to no avail.
A story that could easily have turned into a moralistic melodrama, but director Deepak Rauniyar keeps a perfect balance. The collective trauma of the war is reflected in personal tensions; national politics seeps into village life. The sublime Dayanhanc Rai plays Chandra, absorbing the blows in a half-resigned, half-frustrated way.