{"id":56870,"date":"2019-10-29T14:08:51","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T14:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=56870"},"modified":"2019-10-29T14:11:27","modified_gmt":"2019-10-29T14:11:27","slug":"dekel-berensons-street-cast-british-film-ashmina-sheds-a-light-on-a-country-threatened-by-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/10\/dekel-berensons-street-cast-british-film-ashmina-sheds-a-light-on-a-country-threatened-by-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"Dekel Berenson’s Street Cast British film \u2018Ashmina\u2019 Sheds A Light On A Country Threatened By Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

After taking home the Silver Dragon Award at Krakow Film Festival, Dekel Berenson\u2019s ‘Ashmina’ went on to play at Palm Springs and many other film festivals. This topical film stars real people to tell the touching story of one girl\u2019s life in one of the world\u2019s poorest countries, Nepal.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00a0Nestled between a beautiful lake and the Himalayas, Ashmina, 13, lives with her family at the outskirts of Pokhara, Nepal, paragliding capital of the world.<\/p>\n

Director Dekel Berenson\u2019s latest short film, ‘Ashmina’, didn\u2019t exactly happen overnight. For five years, he set out on an adventure to explore the far ends of the world such as the North Pole, and Mount Everest. It was on that trip to Nepal, in 2014, that inspired his latest, thought-provoking film. While in the country\u2019s second largest city, Pokhara, to finish his training as a paragliding pilot, he encountered several local children who left a lasting impression on the UK\/Israeli-based filmmaker.<\/p>\n

Nepal has a long history of being the poorest country in South Asia\u2014made only worse by a devastating earthquake in 2015 that killed 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000 more. While tourism has many economic and social benefits to this region, some believe the influx of foreign visitors creates an\u00a0unwanted middle class<\/a>, increases crime, threatens indigenous identity, and poses a threat to the region’s natural and cultural resources. Berenson tackles the country\u2019s tourism challenges through the eyes of a 13-year-old local girl.<\/p>\n

Flmmaker Dekel Berenson\u00a0is\u00a0passionate\u00a0about writing and storytelling, and has been shooting short \u201cfilms\u201d since he was 8 years old, using a VHS camcorder and a VCR for editing.<\/p>\n

He acquired a Masters in International Relations from the Central European University in Budapest in 2006, receiving the Best Thesis Award and graduating first in his class. Over the past three years, he has combined his passions, making artistic films of high quality that bring to light real-world social and humanitarian issues. His recent film ‘Anna’ just premiered at Cannes. Both ‘Anna’ and ‘Ashmina’ are produced by Merlin Merton. ‘Ashmina’ is under consideration for an Academy Award, while both ‘Anna’ and Ashmina’ have been shortlisted for British Independent Film Awards.<\/p>\n

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