WHITE SUN


A film with particular political interest at this year’s New Directors/New Films series was “White Sun,” now in commercial release. Directed by Deepak Rauniyar, it is set in Nepal against the background of the divisions and political rivalries in that country. But the story is a personal one, and that gives the film a very human quality.

The plot involves a Maoist activist who returns home after his father has just died. His father believed in the monarchist regime, which the Maoists fought in a lengthy civil war. The son’s brother also was on the monarchist side.

What happens in the effort to perform a burial according to the required rituals and the clashing relationship make for an involving and sometimes satirical film. How all is worked out holds one’s attention and tells us much about human behavior. Parts are very funny, and other moments are filled with anger. Through it all are the logistics of the task at hand, and those can provide amusement as well. Reviewed September 6, 2017.




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