Kathmandu, Oct. 1 -- Anup Poudel's eyes welled up as he stood inside the Shuvakamana Hi-Vision Hall in Banepa, Kavre, on the afternoon of September 8. Poudel was surrounded by film enthusiasts gathered for a screening of the Nepali thriller 'Elephants in the Fog'-titled 'Tiniharu' in Nepali-which he had produced. The occasion marked a sweet homecoming for him. This hall used to be the destination of Poudel's escapades during his childhood. This was a place where he had first begun dreaming. "I dreamed of reaching Cannes from right here in Kavre," he said.

In May, 'Elephants in the Fog', directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, won the Jury Prize in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the Cannes Film Festival. But Poudel had already reached Cannes...