Deepak Rauniyar's debut feature 'Highway' was the first film from Nepal to be screened as a part of the Panorama section at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival this year.
A Nepal-US coproduction, the film was produced with the support of social networks.
With this film, Nepal in a sense has stolen a march over India at Berlinale as the latter has no films in the International Forum of New Cinema or Panorama sections, where Indian films are usually shown.
India has only two feature films at the film festival this year: Farhan Akhtar's 'Don 2' in the Berlinale Special Gala screening and Rajan Khosa's 'Gattu' in the Generation section for children and young adults.
'Highway's maker Rauniyar regularly works as a writer-producer-editor for the BBC World Service Trust in Nepal.
At his Berlin screening, he said, "Nepal has been making films for 50 years, but it is the first time a Nepali film is at the Berlin Film Festival. It is a very emotional moment for us."
In fact, his short film 'Chaukaith' was screened in Cannes in 2008. Structured as a road movie, 'Highway' is a sharply critical portrait of Nepali society today, yet leavened with dramatic twists and humour.
The story is of a childless man who has drunk a doctor's potion, but must get to his wife in 36 hours so that she can conceive.
But the journey is full of bandhs, traffic jams and a breakdown, that prevent the passengers from reaching on time.
The cast includes Dayahang Rai, Asha Magarati, Shristi Ghimire and Eelum Dixit. The crew include Nepali and foreign talents, and the coproducers include Danny Glover and Joslyn Barnes.