Wheels On The Bus

After being bullied into making iron wheels for his upper-caste peers, BHYAL (12), a lower caste blacksmith, and his friend LABA (11) are compelled to steal iron from the village to make the wheels. At Bhyal workshops, the boys work through the night and fall asleep. Laba's father finds his son asleep with Bhyal. Outraged at this sight, he calls the village religious chief to purify his son. With the entire village gathered, the village chief purifies Laba and passes judgment on Bhyal.

  • Surya Shahi
    Director
  • Surya Shahi
    Writer
  • Rajesh Prasad Khatri
    Writer
  • Sushant Shrestha
    Producer
  • Surya Shahi
    Producer
  • Rajesh Prasad Khatri
    Producer
  • Prabin Kumar Rawat
    Producer
  • Man Bahadur Tamata
    Key Cast
  • Hari Buda
    Key Cast
  • Chandra Rawal
    Key Cast
  • Suman Bohara
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 28, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Nepal
  • Country of Filming:
    Nepal
  • Language:
    Nepali
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Berlin International Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    February 15, 2022
    World Premiere
    Official Selection: Generation KPlus
  • Mo&Friese - Hamburg International Short Film Festival
    Hamburg
    Germany
    June 5, 2022
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Surya Shahi

Surya Shahi received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) and a BA in International Studies from Elon University, USA (2018). Since graduating, he has been in Nepal building a school and a hostel in his home region of Humla, where ‘Wheels on the Bus (2022)’ was shot, which was premiered in Berlin International Film Festival 2022. He also works as an acting teacher at Oscar International College of Film Studies in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Surya worked on a Nepali short film ‘A Curious Girl ( 2017)’ as a casting director, acting coach and an assistant director. He was the creative producer and actor for the musical short titled Rato Talo (2019). He also worked as an acting coach on the short film FILAM (2020). His He is currently working on his second short film The Curtain.

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Director Statement

Imagine being deemed as untouchable. Imagine not being able to touch others because you are thought of as impure. Imagine having to live your life in fear of displeasing the local traditions that oppress you. This was and is the reality of the Dalit community in my home village of rural Humla, Nepal.
Many forms of social injustices have been made illegal, but the residue of these traditions still prevails today. Most countries' national anthems and constitutional by-laws are full of commitments to diversity and equal rights for all. We profess ourselves as “progressive”, we teach our Children the ‘Do’s’ and Don'ts,’ but do we live by these ideals? Are we passing the right values down to our children?
‘Wheels on the Bus’ is my attempt to tell a simple story of injustice through the eyes of a child and to question the ideals and values that we so delusionally believe we uphold.