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SALT LAKE CITY — Rick McFarland believes stories are best told from personal experience.
That's why he created a film that encompassed his love of piloting airplanes, traveling to a foreign land, falling in love and losing a loved one.
McFarland, of American Fork, said he wanted the story to be more than a mere copy of his life, so he decided to change the setting. When visiting potential film sites, he fell in love with Nepal.
"Nepal was mystic and beautiful with a melancholy that hangs in the air that resonated with me," said McFarland, owner of Salt Lake City-based Fiftyfilms. "It also reminded me of where I grew up because Utah is also full of mountains and valleys. The highly religious culture in Nepal, while different, reminded me of the devout religious practices here on the Wasatch Front."
McFarland's film, "Highway to Dhampus," follows a rich socialite who travels to a Nepal to improve her reputation by participating in charitable acts. She and a photojournalist meet a pilot and a headmistress of a small orphanage. Together, the four characters experience grief and love and make lasting changes in their lives.
The film opens Friday in select Utah theaters and will run for at least a week. Filmed in 2012, "Highway to Dhampus" premiered in Nepal on Sept. 25, and according to actor Raj Ballav Koirala, is still having a successful run despite transportation issues stemming from India's border blockade.
Nepal was mystic and beautiful with a melancholy that hangs in the air that resonated with me. It also reminded me of where I grew up because Utah is also full of mountains and valleys. The highly religious culture in Nepal, while different, reminded me of the devout religious practices here on the Wasatch Front.
–Rick McFarland, owner of Fiftyfilms
The movie has received several awards, including "Best U.S. Premiere for a Narrative Feature" at the Heartland Film Festival, "Best Feature World Showcase" at the SoHo International Film Festival, and "Best Feature Film" at the Madrid International Film Festival.
Afer seeing her husband's film, McFarland's wife, Kathy, saw the impoverished state of Nepal and decided to help by creating Mind the Gap Worldwide, a nonprofit organization helping families across the globe obtain necessities.
After its Utah showings, "Highway to Dhampus" will have a special showing at the Hearst Castle Theatre in San Simeon, California, where all proceeds will go to Nepal through Mind the Gap Worldwide.
Koirala said "Highway to Dhampus" said the charity screening is just one example of how the film has been beneficial.
"I must say that this is a movie that a foreigner made, but it changed the way I view my country. I love my country," he said. "I needed this kind of movie in my life. It is beautiful and endearing and will show people that there are layers in life beyond the first layers."
Tori Jorgensen is a Deseret News intern and current communications major at Southern Utah University. Find her on Twitter @TORIAjorgensen Email: vjorgensen@deseretnews.com
