My Home is in the Hills
Monu's parents plan to move to the city after his granny's passing, but he's determined to stay in his beloved Himalayan village and keep his granny alive at all costs.
Naughty MONU (10) enjoys life in his quaint Himalayan village where he and his sister are the only kids left since most families have migrated to the city. The naughty Monu goes from one mischief to another which keeps both his mother CHANDRA and his granny on edge.
Chandra dreams of a bright future for her kids and aspires to live in the city with her husband. The only reason the family lives in the hills is because of Monu’s granny – she doesn’t want to leave the village, nor can she be left alone.
Then one day Monu’s granny falls down the stairs and it seems like she’ll die anytime. When Monu’s father arrives from the city, Chandra persuades him to take the family along as soon as granny dies.
Lost in his own world, Monu doesn’t realize this at first but when he overhears his parents whispering late at night, he’s shocked to know that his lovely life in the hills is set to end soon. Not one to give up, he starts figuring out ways of keeping his granny alive so he can foil his parent’s plan.
There is nothing that he doesn’t try. Magic… shamans… obscure herbs… doctors from the city... sacrificing his favourite goat… he tries everything! As days pass and Granny’s health ebbs and flows, Monu and his mom are on tenterhooks. They try to hide their rivalry from each other and the world but they both know the game is on. Granny eventually dies, leaving a desperate Monu with no choice but to take drastic steps to escape moving to the city.
Chandra dreams of a bright future for her kids and aspires to live in the city with her husband. The only reason the family lives in the hills is because of Monu’s granny – she doesn’t want to leave the village, nor can she be left alone.
Then one day Monu’s granny falls down the stairs and it seems like she’ll die anytime. When Monu’s father arrives from the city, Chandra persuades him to take the family along as soon as granny dies.
Lost in his own world, Monu doesn’t realize this at first but when he overhears his parents whispering late at night, he’s shocked to know that his lovely life in the hills is set to end soon. Not one to give up, he starts figuring out ways of keeping his granny alive so he can foil his parent’s plan.
There is nothing that he doesn’t try. Magic… shamans… obscure herbs… doctors from the city... sacrificing his favourite goat… he tries everything! As days pass and Granny’s health ebbs and flows, Monu and his mom are on tenterhooks. They try to hide their rivalry from each other and the world but they both know the game is on. Granny eventually dies, leaving a desperate Monu with no choice but to take drastic steps to escape moving to the city.
Directors statement
Where are you from? It’s a question I’ve been asked all my life. We like to slot people into boxes labelled by regions, caste, colour and creed. The backlash against migrants has been a constant threat to the lives of millions of Indians who’ve migrated for want of jobs, education, and healthcare. My parents lived that life.Having grown up in beautiful sylvan valleys in the Himalayas, they migrated to Mumbai in hopes of a better life. They lived in a tin-foil shanty where I was born. My mom, fought off goons who’d come to demolish the shanty even as my father worked as a daily wage labourer trying to make ends meet.
The film is an ode to these people – the migrants, my parents and their generation. I want to tell their story – who they were, how they lived, and why they migrated – before they become labelled as migrants. I do not want to romanticize the past nor paint a spotless picture of life in a village. I intend to bring alive the questions and doubts that those who migrate struggle with before they make the decision.
My goal is to convey the confusion and sadness that comes with leaving one’s home for an uncertain future in a strange, distant land. I want to paint a picture of the Himalayan village life as it exists today in the last throes of its existence before it is engulfed by the ghost of migration. Because the protagonist is mischievous, the film will be a comedy, albeit one tinged with poignancy, especially as the film heads towards the climax. Children remain our only hope and by making a film that speaks to them while telling the story of a young migrant their age, I hope to dissolve the boundaries that continue to separate us. Even if it can convince only one kid to choose empathy and understanding over hatred for the other, my job would’ve been done.
The film is an ode to these people – the migrants, my parents and their generation. I want to tell their story – who they were, how they lived, and why they migrated – before they become labelled as migrants. I do not want to romanticize the past nor paint a spotless picture of life in a village. I intend to bring alive the questions and doubts that those who migrate struggle with before they make the decision.
My goal is to convey the confusion and sadness that comes with leaving one’s home for an uncertain future in a strange, distant land. I want to paint a picture of the Himalayan village life as it exists today in the last throes of its existence before it is engulfed by the ghost of migration. Because the protagonist is mischievous, the film will be a comedy, albeit one tinged with poignancy, especially as the film heads towards the climax. Children remain our only hope and by making a film that speaks to them while telling the story of a young migrant their age, I hope to dissolve the boundaries that continue to separate us. Even if it can convince only one kid to choose empathy and understanding over hatred for the other, my job would’ve been done.
A native of the Indian Himalayan region of Kumaon, bordering Nepal and Tibet, ARUN FULARA wants to bring stories from the region to the wider world. His recent short, Shera, is a story of two young friends and their fascination with the leopard that lives around their Himalayan village is the first of those stories.His debut feature – My Home is in the Hills – a magical realism-tinged coming-of-age drama in the context of migration was part of NFDC Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market (2021) and is in development. His short films Sunday (2020) and My Mother's Girlfriend (2021) have travelled to 130+ festivals around the world. Between them, they’ve won over a dozen awards including awards at REELING LGBTQ+ International Film Festival (2021) and IDSFFK (2021). His documentary, Kashnoli, about an old couple surviving a harsh winter in their isolated home in a Himalayan village, is in post-production. He’s previously assisted filmmaker Devashish Makhija on acclaimed films like Ajji and Bhonsle.
- DirectorArun Fulara
- ProducerAnup Poudel
- ScreenwriterArun Fulara
- Production countryNepal
- Production companyUnderground Talkies Nepal
- Age8+
- Duration90 min
- GenreFamily
- TypeLive-action
- Year2025
- Spoken languageHindi
- Total budget€280,000
- Financing in place€80,000
Contact persons
Company profile
Underground Talkies Nepal, established in 2013, is an independent production company based in Kathmandu. We actively partner with the new generation of filmmakers who strive to tell local stories that are bold, original, and authentic. Our films resonate with domestic audiences and international viewers alike, and have been screened at Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Busan to name a few.
Since, the script is in the late stage development and early financing, we are seeking potential co-producers, financiers, script consultant, festival programmer and sales agents during the Junior Co Production Market.
Goals at JCM
Representatives at JCM and contact details
Anup Poudel
anoopmimosa@gmail.com
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