Nepali director Raj Sargam to present his work at the International Film Project Pitching at the National Centre RUSSIA

The International Film Project Pitching "Cinema as a Tool to Combat Future Shock" will be held on 12 November at the National Centre RUSSIA. Young filmmakers from around the world will present projects that transform anxieties and fears about the future into positive scenarios. The event will be a significant part of the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future", which will be held on 12–13 November. A total of 17 submissions were received from international filmmakers. The best of these will be presented at the Symposium. Among those in contention is Raj Sargam from Nepal. The event is open to visitors who register in advance on the website.

Raj Sargam (real name Raj Kumar Lamichhane) is taking part in the pitching with his project "Gaadi: A Sacred Place". The filmmaker asks: how can we strike a balance between traditions spanning thousands of years and the pursuit of a fairer future? The answer is found by the film's protagonist, Bhawani, a 16-year-old girl from a Nepali village. When she begins to experience unexplained bouts of trembling, Bhawani is forced to challenge established ideas about faith, gender roles and cultural belonging. She takes her destiny into her own hands in a society where spiritual and secular authority belong exclusively to men. Bhawani's struggle embodies a social anxiety — the fear that questioning established traditions will destroy a community's cultural identity. At a pivotal moment in the film, a man carries Bhawani on his shoulders — a symbolic gesture, as Nepali tradition reserves this honour exclusively for shamans. The scene suggests that cultural traditions need not be sacrificed for equality to become possible. Raj Sargam envisions a fairer future in which communities preserve their cultural identity while allowing women and young people to give it meaning.

"I was inspired to create 'Gaadi' by anxiety about the future of gender equality and the individual's freedom to question inherited social norms. Can cultural traditions remain meaningful while becoming more inclusive? Can a society preserve its spiritual legacy without denying women equal dignity and recognition? Through my protagonist Bhawani, I explore the possibility of a future in which cultural continuity and gender equality can coexist," says Raj Sargam.