Nepal Now / Stories / Archive 2016
Endure Nepal – A Women’s Mountain Bike Documentary
By Isha Balla ·
Published· Stories
Endure Nepal is an observational documentary twinned with an outdoor adventure film, which will look at sustainable tourism. The ultimate goal is to screen the film at Sundance, True/False and Banff Film Festivals, along with other well known international festivals, and also be seen in cinemas nationwide and online.
The project is initiated by a team of Arizonian women who are planning to make it to Nepal this march. They will be travelling to the remote villages in Langtang Valley, a place which was worst hit by the earthquake. Julie Cornielus, and Arizona native, and 4 of her friends will be flying to Kathmandu, Nepal. Upon reaching the remote village of Kyanjin Gomba located in Langtang Valley, their primary objective is to build a high-altitude prototype stone greenhouse to support the villagers financially. The film aims to inspire continued tourism to Nepal (down 90% since the earthquake), help with rebuilding in devastated areas, and offer a glimpse into the lives of the people that make the country special. The film will focus on Nepal with a secondary focus on mountain biking and the dynamics of the women who are riding through the wonderfully scenic Langtang Valley of Nepal. This project will be filmed in March of 2016.
Cornielus and her friends will be accompanied by a film crew who will be making a documentary of their trip. The goal of this documentary is to raise awareness as well as to promote tourism in Nepal.
“We have had quite a few discussions over the last few days and all of the ladies are so passionate about the project that we all decided that we will make it happen no matter what. We are still raising some essential money to build the greenhouse, get a filming permit and cover expenses. We will be spending our own money for a lot of the travel expenses. Since part of our goal with this film was to support the tourism economy, we had initially turned down a lot of generous offers from companies in Nepal to stay for free. We are thankful for these opportunities and the support of people both in Nepal and outside of the country that want to see us succeed in our mission”, writes Julie.
This group of 5 women will be at the Sedona Bike Festival from March 4th-6th to kick off their ride and film. To learn more or support them head to www.EndureNepal.com