Private Project

War Crime

During the 10-year conflict (1996-2006) in Nepal, the Maoists enlisted children for various roles, including espionage, cooking, portering, and even as frontline guerrillas.

Following the signing of a comprehensive peace accord in 2006 between the Maoists and the Nepal government, Maoist combatants and their weapons were relocated to UN-supervised camps in 2007. In these camps, 4,008 combatants were identified as minors or new recruits.

However, the Maoist leadership delayed the release of these child combatants for three years, using this time to negotiate for more extensive rehabilitation packages.

As a consequence, the child soldiers were only released in 2010 when they had matured into young adults. By that point, the process of their rehabilitation had become considerably more complex.

Unfortunately, they were not provided with proper rehabilitation packages or successfully integrated into society.

A decade after the conflict's conclusion, both the Nepal government and the party these young individuals were once willing to sacrifice for seem to have forgotten them.

Now in their twenties, these former Maoist child soldiers are struggling for survival and battling against the social stigma that surrounds them.

  • Gopal Shivakoti
    Director
  • Gopal Shivakoti
    Writer
  • Gopal Shivakoti
    Producer
  • Khadak Bahadur Ramtel
    Key Cast
  • Manisha Khadka
    Key Cast
  • Lenin Bista
    Key Cast
  • Rajan Thapa
    Key Cast
  • Pradip Karki
    Key Cast
  • Chet Bahadur Rai
    Key Cast
  • Ramesh Basel
    Key Cast
  • Bhim Bahadur Tamang
    Key Cast
  • Dhan Bahadur Rai
    Key Cast
  • Rajkumar Rai
    Key Cast
  • Kamala Bhandari
    Key Cast
  • Surendra Bayalkoti
    Key Cast
  • Samana Rai
    Key Cast
  • Dhanshara Saru Magar
    Key Cast
  • Ram Kumar Rai
    Key Cast
  • Anjana Chaudhary
    Key Cast
  • Shyam Kumari Chaudhary
    Key Cast
  • Sabin Pun Magar
    Key Cast
  • Rem Bahadur Pun Magar
    Key Cast
  • Santosh Chaudhary
    Key Cast
  • Nirmala K.C.
    Key Cast
  • Laxmi Gautam
    Key Cast
  • Laxmi B.K.
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Child rights, Human rights, War Crime
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Nepal
  • Country of Filming:
    Nepal
  • Language:
    Nepali
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Gopal Shivakoti

Gopal Shivakoti is a documentary filmmaker from Nepal. He has been working in the film and digital media industry since 2004. Primarily, he is a visual editor who also specializes in 2D animation, motion graphics, and filmmaking. His hobbies include ethnology and documentary filming.

He has shot and edited a dozen non-fiction films. His first feature-length documentary, "Save Gangamaya," is about Satyagrahi Gangamaya Adhikari, who has been on a fast-unto-death protest to seek justice for the 2004 murder of her innocent teenage son. The film received an overwhelming response in the international film festival circuit.

His recent documentary films include "In Search of the Searchman," "When Shall I See My Daddy," "War Crime," "Pinky Gurung," "We are with Dr. KC," "Gai Jatra," "Bicycle Hero," "Chain and Worship," "PERPETUAL SEARCH," "Simple Joy," and "PRIDE AND PROGRESS."

Add Director Biography