Directed by Nicole Hoellerer, Takin Association UK, a Bhutanese community organization in Manchester United Kingdom, lunched their film premiere event “A Heart Divided” – a refugee’ tale with a bang, at St. Mark’s Hall at Swinton Greater Manchester on May 24.
The program kicked off by honoring Nicole Hoellerer, a Ph.D student at Brunel University London for her tireless and selfless contribution for Promoting the Bhutanese community relocated in the Greater Manchester. Miss Hoellerer is the pioneer behind the Bhutanese Refugee Film project that started in late July 2013 following the encouraging response from the volunteers who successfully contributed in releasing a short movie “Life Beginning” in June 2011. Nicole has been among the Bhutanese communities in Manchester for the last few years supporting and guiding the communities in various ways.
The film was lunched amidst various cultural recipes and speech by various guest speakers, who expressed that they had no words to describe such culturally rich event and were more than willing to work with Takin Association UK in any such future events.
- The event poster
“This has been a wonderful experience punctuated by a stimulating interest,” said the chairperson of the association Lok Nath Bajgai. He further added that Takin Association UK is gaining ground in terms of networking not only within the Bhutanese communities but also with other local communities and institutions in fulfilling the objectives of the association and projects.
The one hour long film features the input from the community members and projects the life of the resettled Bhutanese in the UK. It also focuses the mixed feelings of the resettled Bhutanese experienced in three different countries – Bhutan, Nepal and the United Kingdom. It complements the idea of third country resettlement, present life in the host country, innovative ideas of integration and future prospects in the country of resettlement.
Before showing the film, Nicole Hoellerer explained the subject, told why it was important and begged pardon to those who enthusiastically consented for the role but could not be taken for screening due to inconsiderably poor images and sound. TAUK paid the deepest gratitude to Himalayan Nepali Church in the UK for allowing film shooting during their services and also thanked and appreciated singers like – Dilli Khadka, Nima Tamang and Abisek Bardewa who have immensely contributed towards making the film project a success.
The event was further glorified by the attendance of other local community organisations like Salford Forum for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, Health Improvement Services Salford and Himalayan Nepali Church in the UK.
The Chairperson of the Salford Forum for Refugees Said, “Your culture is not only rich and diverse but very beautiful too and we have to learn a lot from you.”
The event also witnessed a harmonious relationship between the Christians, Hindus and Buddhists who came together to support each other.
“It is such a wonderful feeling to see all religious groups coming together to support each other on a single platform, otherwise such opportunities are rarely seen these days,” said Ashok Kumar Bardewa. “This is what is called a unity in diversity.”
The film project including the event was supported by National Lottery through Big Lottery Fund.
Kashi Pokhrel, the general secretary of the association, ended the program with a vote of thanks to the Big Lottery Fund, lovely audience and people who devotedly participated and volunteered to make the film project and the event a grand success.
