Meet the Filmmakers: Julie Bridgham--'The Sari Soldiers'

Over the past few weeks, we at IDA have been introducing our community to the filmmakers whose work is represented in the DocuWeeks^TM Theatrical Documentary Showcase, currently running through August 20 in New York City and Los Angeles. We asked the filmmakers to share the stories behind their films--the inspirations, the challenges and obstacles, the goals and objectives, the reactions to their films so far.

So, to conclude this series of conversations, here is Julie Bridgham, director/producer of The Sari Soldiers..

Synopsis: The Sari Soldiers is an extraordinary story of six women's courageous efforts to transform Nepal's future in the midst of an escalating civil war. When Devi, mother of a 15-year-old girl, witnesses her niece being murdered by the Royal Nepal Army, she speaks publicly about the atrocity. The army abducts her daughter in retaliation, and Devi embarks on a three-year struggle to uncover her daughter's fate and see justice done. The Sari Soldiers follows her and five other brave women, delving into their extraordinary journey, through the democratic revolution that reshapes the country's future.

IDA: How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?

Julie Bridgham: I first began documentary filmmaking working with a local Bolivian television production company doing short segments in the mid-1990s. I had been working for a human rights organization documenting human rights cases with coca growers, and felt the medium of film was such a powerful way to understand the circumstances that were unfolding for coca growers, and give such a human connection and voice to a very political situation. I later moved to New York City, where I've had the chance to work on several series for television before making The Sari Soldiers.

IDA:  What inspired you to make The Sari Soldiers?

JB: I had been working in Nepal for a few years, making documentaries for the United Nations, and had the opportunity to spend time in some of the remote sections of the country where the Maoist insurgency was really escalating. What struck me was how women were really being affected by the conflict; some young women were joining the Maoist movement and becoming soldiers, while other women were leading movements as civilians. I was really curious why, in such a patriarchal society, women were now getting involved in this capacity. I also noticed that while many women were really putting themselves at the forefront of the conflict, oftentimes it was going unacknowledged. I felt it would be interesting to really see the complexities of this unfolding conflict through the eyes of women who were at the forefront, and to see things from a point of view that wasn't typically seen. I also really wanted to explore this through the lives of women who had very different views and political perspectives, and to experience the complexities of the conflict through their eyes.

IDA:  What were some of the challenges and obstacles in making this film, and how did you overcome them?

JB: When I began filming, Nepal was in a "State of Emergency," and the King had just overthrown the government. At that time, there were restrictions on freedoms of speech, the press and right to assemble, and the Maoist rebellion was at a peak intensity. No one knew how long the conflict was going to persist, and what direction it may turn. There were definitely challenges in filming several of these women's lives. One of the women is a student political activist, and was out on the streets in the midst of some rather large and violent political protests, and that always posed some dangers about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because we were also filming a top Maoist commander, as well as an Army Officer Cadet, we needed to gain permission from both armies to film, which we were lucky to achieve. At one point when we were filming the Maoist Commander, we were in a very remote district that required our crew to hike for about two weeks in a pretty mountainous region. The Maoists had declared a cease-fire, but the army had not, so there were some moments of tension at a few of the rallies that there could be a potential attack.

IDA: How did your vision for the film change over the course of pre-production, production and post-production processes?

JB: When I began filming, I didn't know that so much was going to unfold in Nepal's political situation in such a short period of time. It was amazing that the women I was filming wound up being very instrumental in the changes that unfolded as well, so I wound up filming for much longer than I had initially anticipated. The story took a different direction as we were filming, as one of the main characters, Devi, wound up having some very significant developments in her pursuits for finding her daughter, so that changed the course of the story, as well as the fact that a revolution unfolded that lead to the toppling of the monarchy. I decided to focus the story much more on the women's personal stories, and to focus the story through each of their own perspectives more than I had initially planned. But each of their stories wound up being so compelling, I felt that was the important story to tell.

IDA:  As you've screened The Sari Soldiers--whether on the film festival circuit, or in screening rooms--how have audiences reacted to the film? What has been  most surprising or unexpected about their reactions?

JB: It has been really amazing to see the audience reactions in many different countries and very different communities, and how people have really identified with the six women in the film. Although many people seeing the film have never been to Nepal, and quite often know very little about the country, it has been amazing to see the universality of these women's stories, and how people have really been inspired by each of these women. It has been interesting to see the dialogue that has unfolded after screenings, and how it is really difficult to say one person is right or one person is wrong after watching the film.

The Sari Soldiers will be screening at the the IFC Center in New York City.

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