The highlight of my week was when I went to a VIP pre-screening of the new movie,
Highway to Dhampus
About:
This beautifully shot, contemplative film transports the viewer to the stunning countryside of Nepal. An inspiring story written and directed by Utah native Rick McFarland, and filmed almost entirely in Nepal, Highway to Dhampus follows the headmistress of a small orphanage in Nepal who is visited by a rich British socialite attempting to fix her public image through charitable acts. A providential chain of events is set in motion that affects everyone involved, and ultimately, each character discovers their own reasons to change for the better.
About the director:
For the screenplay of "Dhampus", Rick took a research trip to Kathmandu in 2011. He found a country that was both absolutely foreign and yet strangely similar to his home state of Utah. Once the script was finished, casting and filming began in 2012. Highway to Dhampus was the first independent feature film shot entirely in Nepal by a foreign director and crew. It is also a deeply personal film for Rick, drawing much from his own experiences and transposing them into a Nepali setting.
In Tiffany's opinion:
Highway to Dhamphus was a thought provoking and touching movie. This must see film was based in Napal, and portrays experiences the characters have when faced with encounters of relationships, judgment, culture differences, love and loss. This also examines the hardships of Nepali’s, while contrasting the ability for characters to change for the better. Although there were questions left unanswered regarding the character’s background, I recommend this movie because it was intriguing, romantic, and entertaining.
In Emilee's opinion:
Before I went to see the pre-screening of Highway to Dhampus, I watched the trailer. I became excited because it seemed like the type of film I would go see. I was right! Highway to Dhampus was moving and outstanding. The music was calm and peaceful and I felt that I was involved somehow in the story. After viewing the film, the director, Rick McFarland did a Q/A session. He told us how characters were chosen carefully through different countries. It was a long process. I felt the characters were chosen perfectly. I grew to love each one especially Laxmi and Ajit. I loved that the director made a clean film that spoke to him personally. Love can dwell without being physical or going beyond chastity barriers. McFarland wanted a love story without the physical part which was fantastic.
During the Q/A session, there were a few questions asked regarding characters being undeveloped. I wish we could have known more about Elizabeth's character as well as Colt. What was their deal? Did they have a brother/sister relationship or something deeper? It seemed that Colt's natural man came out quite a bit and that he needed time to grow. Elizabeth's character grew quickly. At first, she felt the area was dirty and unclean. She also didn't want to be at the orphanage. However, her second trip was quite different. She changed and grew to love the children. Some of us are easy to teach while others take awhile to let go of the natural man. So, there were a few unanswered questions but that was McFarland's point. He wanted complexity so his audience could figure it out on their own.
Overall, I enjoyed the film and highly recommend it. The film releases on October 9th at the following theatres:
Megaplex Jordan Commons (Sandy)
Megaplex Geneva Road (Vineyard)
Cinemark University Mall (Orem)
Megaplex Main Street (St. George)
For more information, visit the website at www.highwaytodhampus.com
Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgo1QJxDjfA
This film will release in select theaters on October 9, 2015.
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