Directed by Subina Shrestha • Documentary • 2024 • 82 minutes
Devi is a rebel warrior, mother, and sexual violence survivor – for her, Nepal's Civil War did not end in 2006. As those in power try to erase rape from the history of the war, Devi has to battle her own demons before she can begin to build a movement to fight for justice.
In 1997, 17-year-old Devi's life took a harrowing turn. Arrested during the onset of civil war in Nepal, she was accused of being a rebel, subjected to torture, and endured the unimaginable trauma of rape while in custody. Branded a "victim," Devi faced the weight of social stigma, and battled depression and isolation. Her story didn't end there, however. From joining the rebel frontlines to ascending through the ranks and eventually serving as a member of parliament after the war's end, Devi defied all odds.
Devi is an immersive vérité film that follows her remarkable journey. Through intimate encounters with her former lawyer and counsellor, the film digs deeply into personal moments, capturing Devi's unwavering resilience. Supported by her diary, archival footage and breathtaking imagery, Devi reconstructs a history silenced by erasure, rewriting her own destiny in the process, and illuminates the power of survival, the quest for justice, and the conquering spirit of humanity.
Up Next in Across Asia
-
Nikah
Directed by Bastien Ehouzan and Mukaddas Mijit • Drama • With Guzalnur Uchqun • 2022 • 56 minutes
Dilber is 27, and her mother wants to quickly find a husband for her — especially now that her younger sister Rena is settling into newly married life. But it’s 2017, a time when Uyghur people are b...
-
Dhuin
Directed by Achal Mishra • Drama • With Abhinav Jha, Bijay Kumar Sah, Prashant Rana • 2022 • 51 minutes
DHUIN is a stunning, novella-length portrait of a 25-year old street theatre actor (Abhinav Jha, in a breakout performance) who is desperate to leave his rural hometown of Darbhanga for Mumbai...
-
Maborosi (Hirokazu Kore-eda)
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda • Drama • With Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano • 1995 • 110 minutes
One of the finest films of Japanese cinema, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s first feature film Maborosi is a story of love, loss, and ultimately, regeneration.
Haunted by the mysterious loss of her grandmother m...
