First-place winner of the Changemaker Film Competition William Knowles couldn’t help but think of his own mother as he captured the story of Nepalese women struggling to provide for their families in his film Threads of Hope. As a BYU media arts major, Knowles hopes his film will spread awareness about and increase empathy for the challenges faced by women in Nepal.
The film highlights Chandra, a single mother fighting to provide for her son with her textile weaving business. Though discouraged by the economic inequity for women in her country, she sees hope through Sabah Nepal—an organization focused on enabling home-based women workers by providing training to market skills and textile/food products.
Chandra’s story struck Knowles deeply because it reminded him of his own childhood. When he was young, his father abandoned Knowles and his mother, leaving his mother to provide for them on her own. A recent immigrant to the United States from Bulgaria, his mother was learning the language and culture while also working to complete her PhD and JD degrees under difficult financial circumstances.
Knowles recognized, however, that despite their financial difficulties, they were in a country with more opportunity for women to make money and get an education than a developing nation such as Nepal. Chandra was working under a government system that didn’t recognize home-based women workers or give women any economic autonomy.
“When I was writing interview questions for the shot list, I remember thinking about some of the difficulties my mother must've endured when I was a young boy and wondering if the chips were stacked as high against her as they were for Chandra, whether she would have been able to overcome,” says Knowles.
The Threads of Hope crew faced challenges of its own in the process of capturing Chandra’s story. Not only did crew members not speak the native language but they were also such a small crew that transporting a lot of equipment over roads that were still devastated from the 2015 earthquake became extremely difficult. The challenges, however, made it even more impactful for the crew.
“I think until you experience something along these lines where you are immersed in another country and culture, wherever it may be, you cannot gain a notion of the privilege you've been granted,” says Knowles. “That privilege should be used with empathy and consideration to help others around the world in a way that preserves and respects different cultures.”
Even after completing the film, Knowles and his film crew continue to feel passionate about the cause of home-based workers in Nepal gaining economic equality. You can support their campaign by signing their petition.
Knowles said his experience with the Changemaker Film Competition was extremely valuable and hopes to encourage others to use the film competition as a platform for raising awareness for important causes.
If you have a cause you are passionate about and want to make a film, visit the Changemaker Film Competition website to find out more.
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Writer: Michaela Proctor
