The Black Hen is a wistful, deeply touching drama and the feature debut of emerging Nepali director Min Bahadur Bham, whose short The Flute (2012) made history as the first Nepali film presented at Venice International Film Festival.
It’s set in 2001, wherein a temporary ceasefire gives a much-needed break to a small village in northern Nepal that’s been ravaged by the ongoing conflict between the government and insurgent Maoists.
The village chief’s grandson Kiran and Prakash, son of a servant, become inseparable best friends despite being divided by caste and social creed. While the adults are relieved by the ceasefire, their only concern is to retrieve the hen they’ve been raising in order to sell its eggs. But when they set out to find it, they’re unaware of the fragility of the ceasefire – and that they may soon be caught between fighting forces.
Bolstered by excellent performances, and offsetting humour against tragedy and a pleasing realism against ethereal dream sequences, this is an outstanding debut from an exciting new voice in contemporary world cinema.
