Dominated by her husband, her family and society, Belmaya is desperate for independence. But she is a daughter of Nepal, where men make the decisions and women keep their mouths shut. Here, in one of the poorest nations on earth, women are daughters, wives, mothers, dependents, victims, slaves. Rarely individuals in their own right.

Born a Dalit (the lowest, ‘untouchable’ caste), orphaned at the age of nine, and trapped in an abusive marriage with a baby daughter, Belmaya, by the age of 21, has given up hope of finding happiness.

Rewind to 2006, when Belmaya, at 14, participated in the My World, My View photo project in Pokhara. Impassioned and inspired, she had dreams of becoming a photographer. But that window closed when the home she lived in locked away her camera.

Now she gets a second chance, as she trains in documentary filmmaking. Picking up the camera once more, her old spark returns. As she grows in confidence and ability, she confronts her husband and makes two short films, turning from subject to co-director of her story.

“I am hugely touched and impressed by this beautiful work. A daring and heart-breaking film, which fills one with hope and admiration. Five shining stars from me.” - Joanna Lumley

“Such a raw, powerful film. One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.” - Sophie Cousins, The Lancet

“From He Named Me Malala (2015) to The Eagle Huntress (2016) and the newly released I Am Greta (2020) we see that young women are taking charge of their own destinies and educating the old world order on what can be achieved if we allow every human being their own opportunity of becoming. Now we can add to this list the superb portrait of a young Nepali woman lifting herself out of subjugation through the means of photography and film-making, I Am Belmaya.” - UK Film Review