(This page is only one section of the thesis. To view the full thesis, click here.)

Overview of ‘I am Belmaya’ Documentary Film

In order to fully understand the social media strategy and engagement for the I am Belmaya film, it is important to first recognize what the film is about and how it connects with viewers. This documentary film takes place in Nepal and follows the story of a young girl named Belmaya Nepali. Belmaya was born into the lowest societal class system in Nepal, and is also a women in a misogynistic society. Without any of the support needed to receive a proper education, she also had to drop out of school. At the age of 14, she was introduced to photography, and this changed the course of her life forever (I Am Belmaya 2020). Because of where Belmaya lived, she was prohibited from using a camera until she was 21. By then, she was already married with a daughter, but that did not stop her from pursuing her passion with a camera. At the age of 21, “she embarked on a documentary filmmaking training. Her graduation film, Educate Our Daughters, about the importance of education for girls, has been selected for numerous international film festivals” (I Am Belmaya 2020).

The documentary film, I am Belmaya, was created to share Belmaya’s story with the world, and show how powerful filmmaking can be for an individual, even someone who is uneducated and is seen as an out-cast within society. Along with showing Belmaya’s journey, the film importantly brings awareness to the harsh conditions of living in Nepal, a region of the world that is often forgotten in by more developed societies. Establishing this story is essential for developing a strong and emotional relationship with the potential viewers of this film, and this relationship is valued throughout the use of strategic marketing with social media.

Filmmakers

Examining the filmmakers of I am Belmaya help give insight into the further discussion of how social media can create a relationship between the film and the followers/viewers of the film. As discussed within the industry analysis, independent documentary films like I am Belmaya, are made up of a small amount of filmmakers, usually with limited financial means. This means that filmmakers must develop a relationship with followers out of necessity — they create awareness for their film through establishing a relationship. The filmmakers for I am Belmaya are Sue Carpenter (director/producer), Christopher Hird (producer/executive producer) and the subject of the film Belmaya Nepali, who is also given credit as co-director (some of her camera shots are used within the film).

The main filmmaker for this documentary is Sue Carpenter, as she is the individual who traveled to Nepal herself to capture Belmaya’s journey. Not only did she capture the whole journey herself, but the documentary is her idea from development through release. She also has a long personal relationship with the subject of the film, Belmaya Nepali, having known her since before she was 14 years old. This is an important detail because Carpenter also personally runs the I am Belmaya social media accounts (along with interns), meaning she has direct contact with followers and is vital in decided what gets posted onto these accounts. Carpenter’s personal link to the entire making of this documentary is a crucial factor in the social media strategy for this film, specifically since the film is an independent documentary which means that a developed contact with followers is helpful for bringing awareness towards the film and its message.

Marketing on Social Media

As discussed throughout the introduction and industry analysis, establishing a relationship between the film and its followers is necessary to gain awareness. In contrast to large studio financed films, independent documentary films such as I am Belmaya, cannot rely on finance to help with the marketing of the film, thus social media becomes a vital way of having the film be seen. Social media marketing is free, reaches many people at once, and encourages interaction and engagement between followers. The advantage that smaller films have on social media is that they have the ability to establish a bond between themselves and the followers of the film, which can hopefully lead to more followers into the future. This is in large contrast to large studio films who try to reach as many people as possible, independent documentary films try to reach people that are interested and passionate about the topic of the film. This introduction leads into the next section which refers to understanding the approach used on social media for I am Belmaya.