As modernity has reached even the most remote places of our planet, it is perhaps time to re-evaluate its downsides and benefits. While the link to the outside world, more accessible goods and ways to make a living is most certainly an advantage, the loss of tradition combined with the disappearance of some communities is not. Nepalese director Nabin Subba, who has tackled this specific issue in many of his features, such as “Numafung” (2001), speaks of a time of “fear and uncertainty” for many communities, which is one of the side effects of a connection to the modern world. In his latest work “A Road to a Village” Subba tells the story of a family whose life is fundamentally changed after a road finally connects their village to the nearby town. It is a story about opportunities as well as anxieties as the village and the family have to face the conflicts that come with this change.
Maila (Dayahang Rai) is a basket-weaver in a small Nepalese village, which, after receiving electricity, now has a road which connects it to the closest town. He and his wife Maili (Pashupati Rai) are somewhat skeptical of these changes, especially after having sold nearly everything to be able to afford electricity in their home. Their fears are seemingly confirmed when one of their neighbors opens a small shop, offering tools, groceries and beverages to the villagers, making Maila’s basket obsolete to his neighbors. With no money left to pay the bills, Maila needs to make a decision to secure the future of his family.
At the same time, Maila’s son Bindre (Prasan Rai) discovers what this new road has to offer, from Coca-Cola (which becomes his favorite drink) to television sets appearing in some of his friend’s homes. Upon realizing his parents struggle with the changes happening around them, he demands more and more of these new gadgets and appliances to be in their home as well, thereby causing even more conflict and arguments. Finally, Maila gives in and finds a new way to make a living for his family.
When asked about the message of his feature, Subba states that he wants to shed light on the “Nepal’s development” which has been “manipulated by politicians, leaving poverty and rural labor markets unchanged”. Given the focus on the family unit, the processes the director describes become quite clear, especially their consequences on smaller and bigger communities, such as the town Maila frequently visits in order to make some money selling a rooster and later on home-brewed beer. What sets “A Road to a Village” apart from other, similar narratives is the balanced approach by screenwriters Mahesh Rai and Subba himself as the changes within the family as well as the village are not portrayed as inherently bad, but rather the way they are implemented and how they are dealt with by those in charge.
The village itself becomes almost oppressing at times, highlighted further by Josh Herum’s cinematography, as Maila tries his best to cope with the new developments which have changed the face of the place he used to know so sell seemingly overnight. “A Road to a Village” does not stop there, but rather continues exploring how possibilities and opportunities turn yet into another trap for the family, because modernity might have altered their way of life but not the power structures of their world.
At its core “A Road to a Village” is a family drama. Subba observes the impact of aforementioned changes on the interactions and dynamics within the family, starting from the increasing number of arguments between mother and son as well as the heightened pressure on Maila’s shoulders. Dayahang Rai as Maila and Prasan Rai as Bindre emphasize how something as simple as the availability of Coca-Cola and tarps in the new village store can have severe after-effects. Dayahang Rai shows the struggles of a man who tries his best to go with the times, whereas Prasan Rai easily steals many scenes, emphasizing how Bindre demands these changes for his home as well, resulting in quite a few conflicts with the authority figures in his life.
“A Road to a Village” is both a family drama as well as a portrayal of how modernity can quickly change from an opportunity to an obstacle for people. Nabin Subba balances both aspects of the feature quite well, resulting in an emotional impact and also thought-provoking images and scenes.
