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The history-making lesbian themed Soongava: Dance of the Orchids has been chosen to represent Nepal for the foreign-language Oscar race, according to Variety.
Soongava, written and directed by Subarna Thapa, made history when it was released in Nepal last January for being that country’s first to feature same-sex relationships. The film did small box office in Nepal, but it went on to make a splash at international film fests including Palm Springs, Toronto, Montreal and Bologna, reports Variety.
The film tells the story of Diya, a young woman who dreams of becoming a professional Nepalese dancer, a dream her best friend Kiran encourages her to follow. Meanwhile, Diya’s parents have arranged for her to marry. Diya goes along with the arrangement for a while, but becomes torn when her connection to Kiran deepens into a full-blown love affair and Diya must risk everything to be with Kiran.
Nepal’s Oscar committee chose Soongava over three other films in the running for submission to the Academy Awards, according to Variety.
Watch the trailer for Soongava below.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
