about Demjang
isn't it great that there are always new things to learn about?
On Sunday I went to the second day of the Women of the World (WOW) Festival, held in a field about a half-hour’s walk from me. There were dance performances and music and art and stalls—handicrafts, food, a live pottery lesson in action, you name it. I was there because I’d heard that a documentary about Sherpa matrifocal society traditions would be premiering, and that sounded interesting.
As of the 2021 census, Nepal has 142 ethnic groups, 124 different mother tongues. There’s some overlap in customs and traditions, sure, but there is also much about each that is different. So much I don’t know about. I’m always curious.
The documentary turned out to be shorter than I’d imagined, about fifteen minutes, and was more of a visual personal essay than the ethnographic deep-dive I’d expected, but very much worth watching.
And in terms of piquing my curiosity to learn more, successful. I wanted to know details about the customs briefly touched on, about the song-starters, and the demjang, a form of engagement ceremony, itself. What I got was a beautiful little gem about a young woman beginning to uncover her history and connecting with elders from her community. I hope she continues to explore and to share it, and that others get the opportunity to do the same. There are so many stories to be told. And I now know about something I didn’t on Saturday.
The name of the short film is Demjang, and when I spoke to the filmmaker, Heyshe Dolma Sherpa, after the screening, she told me it should be on YouTube within a few weeks; when it is, I’ll let you know and link to it here, in case you’re curious, too.
Also, doesn’t this look fun?
