Help Raise Awareness on Nepal’s Menstrual Taboo through VR

Chhaupadi is an ancient practice in Nepal that forces menstruating women and girls to live away from their main homes to live in small huts, based on cultural beliefs that they are impure when they bleed.

This film aims to raise awareness about this tradition, highlighting the emotional and psychological consequences faced by those affected.

Photo: Navesh Chitrakar, The Guardian

Why Virtual Reality? This film lets the viewers experience the isolation of being trapped inside a Chhaupadi hut.

View samples of our art style here: Our Website

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This GoFundMe includes all the details of the film below.

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Photo: The Women's Foundation Nepal

Logline:

A talented 13-year-old village girl, dreams of winning a music contest by her idol, but is isolated in a hut by tradition during menstruation. She must find a way to reach the idol with her singing. Through VR, this film lets the viewers experience the isolation of being trapped inside a Chhaupadi hut.

Plot/Synopsis:

Set in a rural village of far western Nepal, the story is a first person experience where the viewer embodies Priya, a 13 year old village girl who dreams of becoming a singer. One day she finds out that her favorite singer is visiting her village to do a music contest and the winner gets a scholarship to the top music school in Kathmandu, the capital. She prepares hard for the contest but just 2 days before the contest, she experiences her first period. Her father is the head priest of the village, meaning everyone looks up to him to uphold traditions, so he puts her in the hut. By using VR, we can place the viewer inside the hut. The viewer will hear Priya’s inner voices, the doubts, and the internal conflicts as she navigates this practice.

The experience will contain poems that are based on real interviews and stories that will be shown in a painterly style aesthetic. In the end, the viewer will experience a VR on rails journey similar to a Disney ride, experiencing different sights and sounds throughout. The core of this experience is to showcase the efforts of NGOs addressing this issue over the past 25 years in Nepa using 2D images and news footage. We will return to Priya's narrative as the singer arrives at the hut before the contest, guiding her to Kathmandu, where she can pursue her dreams.

Photo: Bhadra Sharma, X

Art Style: Our artistic style uses a hand-drawn, painterly look. Viewers can interact with the environment and Priya’s journey, exploring village life in an engaging way.

Priya's bedroom

Village Temple

Priya's frontyard

Puja Thali: A decorative plate used in Nepali Hindu tradition, featuring offerings like flowers, fruits, and incense for worship

Madal: A traditional Nepali drum used in Hindu rituals and celebrations.

View more 3D interactable samples here: Here

Director's Statement:

As a Nepali studying Filmmaking in the U.S., this project is both a personal journey and a responsibility to tell stories from my community.

Growing up in Kathmandu, even in a relatively progressive environment compared to far-western Nepal, I have witnessed my cousin sisters and aunts being restricted from entering the kitchen or touching male family members during their periods. At the time, it felt unsettling but almost normal, as if these rules were simply part of life. Though less severe than the practice of Chhaupadi in rural areas, these restrictions revealed the deeply rooted beliefs about menstruation in Nepali society.

After learning about Chhaupadi, I understood the extent of how these deep-rooted beliefs affect women across Nepal. The more I learned, the more disturbed I became, realizing that what I saw in my family was part of a larger, more harmful tradition that still exists in 2024.

This VR documentary will serve as an immersive educational tool. By experiencing Priya’s story, we aim to achieve empathy and contribute to the conversation around gender equity in Nepal and South Asia as a whole.

How will the funds be used?

Production Equipment: Includes Virtual Reality headsets, cameras, microphones, lighting, and Software licenses and necessary online tools for 3D asset creation and animation.

Travel and Accommodation: Round-trip flights to Nepal, lodging for the team, and local transportation to reach interview sites at Surkhet.

Distribution and Marketing: Expenses for submitting the documentary to festivals, hosting screening events in US and Nepal, and creating and boosting social media posts for reach and engagement.

Team Bios:

Prasin Shrestha (he/him)

Head developer/Animator/Writer

Prasin is a Game Development student pursuing a BS/MS in Game Design at Drexel University. Originally from Bhaktapur, Nepal, he has a passion for 3D art and game design, with over 8 years of experience using industry-standard software like Unity, Blender and Unreal Engine.

As the president of Drexel's Nepali Students Association, he has also honed leadership and public speaking skills. His technical knowledge and creative vision have been crucial in authentically shaping the immersive experience of this film.

Hemanta Adhikari (she/her)

Writer

Hemanta is studying Neuroscience on the Pre-Med track at the University of Pennsylvania. Born in the Bhutanese Refugee Camp in Pathari, Nepal, and immigrating to the U.S. at the age of six, she has a deep connection to both her heritage and her community.

She writes poems in both Nepali and English, with a focus on mental health awareness, healthcare access, and well-being. Involved in the Nepali Students Association at University of Pennsylvania and active in the Bhutanese Nepali community in Harrisburg, she brings a unique voice and perspective to this project.

Kris Sell (she/they)

Sound design/Foley artist

Kris is a senior Drexel student with a passion for sound design and foley. Her interest in social justice and women's rights were great factors in her involvement with the project. Through this experience, Kris is hoping to highlight the underrepresented stories of women through immersive sound design that makes viewers feel as though they are living in the story. She finds collaboration a necessary tool to foster creative development and feels as though this project is a great way for her to create meaningful connections and grow as a sound designer.

Sampanna Bhatta (he/him)

PR/Tech Consultant

Sampanna Bhatta, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, brings extensive experience in both PR and tech to our VR film team. Having grown up in Nepal, Sampanna combines his cultural insight with a strong professional background, having consulted and interned in software engineering roles at leading companies like Bain, Amazon, and Snap.

Currently working at a startup, he’s passionate about using technology for social impact. Through this project, Sampanna aims to create a meaningful, awareness-raising tool that highlights important cultural issues and empowers communities.

Utsav Chaudhary (he/him)

VR consultant

Utsav is a VR Developer with experience creating Virtual Reality rehabilitation games. He recently won the silver prize at the prestigious MIT Reality Hackathon and was the runner up at the XR Hack Stockholm 2024 in Sweden. As a VR specialist and consultant for our project, he brings his technical expertise to help us create a more immersive and impactful experience for the audience.

Medhavi Pandit (she/her)

Narrator

Medhavi is an Economics and Business Analytics student at Drexel University, originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. As the Narrator for A Voice from the Hut, she adds depth and authenticity to the project. She brings a wealth of experience in theater, having performed in various plays in highschool and at Drexel.

In addition to her artistic pursuits, Medhavi has demonstrated leadership in the Pennoni Honors College and the Drexel Nepali Student Association, showcasing her dedication to making a positive impact.

Prashanna Subedi (he/him)

Prashanna began creating content in 7th grade, starting with comedy skits and growing a YouTube channel to 40,000 subscribers. His love for storytelling took a deeper turn when he directed a documentary about frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This inspired him to move to the U.S. to pursue a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking.

He has interned with leading companies like Amazon Studios and Oracle, working on diverse projects that have broadened his creative vision. He strongly believes in the power of storytelling in making a deep impact in our lives.

We invite you to learn more about the project by going to our website at VoiceFromTheHut-VR