Poet Khatri honoured with red carpet recognition in South Korea

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 13: Nepali poet and artiste Jeevan Khatri was honoured with a red carpet recognition at the closing ceremony of the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea.

The honour was awarded for the poetic documentary film “In the Land of Machines”, in which Jeevan Khatri starred alongside fellow Nepali poets Sunildipta Rai and Dilip Bantawa. The film received critical acclaim at the festival and was selected for the special closing screening, a prestigious recognition typically reserved for films that embody the spirit of the festival. According to the organisers, the opening and closing films are considered the 'faces of the festival.'

Besides, the film’s director and producer Kim Ok-young, assistant director Kim Sunhay, Nepali language translator Lee Giju Moona, and Mohan Karki, along with other members of the documentary team, were also honoured at the event held on May 10.

The Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is one of South Korea’s three major international film festivals. This year, the 26th edition of the festival showcased 2,497 films from around the world. Among these, only two were selected for the special opening and closing screenings, each receiving red carpet recognition. The festival ran for 10 days, from April 30 to May 9. The opening film was 'Continental 25' directed by Radu Jude, while the Nepali poetic documentary 'In the Land of Machines' was chosen as the closing highlight.

Festival Chair Woo Beom announced that this year’s event achieved the highest ticket sales in its history, with 85.5 per cent occupancy and over 70,000 attendees.

The documentary explores how Nepali poets living and working in South Korea perceive the country, the hardships they face as migrant workers, and how they convey these experiences through their poetry. Their reflections are presented deeply and poetically, portraying not only their struggles but also their hopes and expectations from Korean society.

On May 9, a press screening of 'In the Land of Machines' was held at the Jeonju Digital Independent Film Theatre. The screening was attended by director Kim Ok-young, poet Jeevan Khatri, and translator Lee Giju.

Director Kim Ok-young shared that he came across the Nepali poetry anthology ‘Yo Machineko Sahar Ho’ (This is the City of Machines), written by migrant workers living in Korea in 2022. "Through poetry, they voiced their pain and protested their circumstances that pierced me emotionally," she said. "That’s when I decided to make this documentary.”

Published in 2020, 'Yo Machineko Sahar Ho' is a joint poetry collection featuring 70 poems by 35 Nepali poets working in South Korea. The book was translated into Korean by Lee Giju and Mohan Karki, and edited by poet Parajit Pomu. The anthology received significant acclaim in Korea and was awarded the Red Award by the Labour Party's Art and Culture Committee. The collection captures the raw emotions and experiences of Nepali migrant poets in Korea.

The documentary features not only the lead roles of poets Jeevan Khatri, Sunildipta Rai, and Dilip Bantawa, but also poems by other Nepali poets Ramesh Sayan, Aishwarya Shrestha, Saroj Sarbahara, and Sanjay Kaucha, some of whom have already returned to Nepal.

The closing ceremony of the 26th Jeonju International Film Festival took place at the Samsung Cultural Centre of Jeonbuk National University. The red carpet recognition and the screening of the documentary were held in front of a packed audience from Korean and international guests.