Nepalese Villagers Rebuild Their Lives, One Grain At A Time

On April 25, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous region northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal . The quake, the worst to hit the country in over 80 years, triggered a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and historical sites. More than 8,500 people were killed in the quake and its aftershocks. 

Filmmaker Nehemiah Stark and cinematographer Nick Wilson arrived on an assignment for Time  in the village of Samantar, in Dhading district, on May 18, some three weeks after the quake struck. The village is located a mere 75 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, and Stark and Wilson got there at a crucial time.

May is usually when the residents of Samantar plant rice seeds to prepare for the upcoming monsoon season in June. Plant the seeds any later, and the monsoon weather will destroy the crops. But this year, collapsing buildings from the earthquake had destroyed food stockpiles, and rice seeds became part of the rubble. For this reason, rice seed became very limited in the markets -- and even if there had been enough in stock, the villagers had no money to pay for it.

For three weeks, Stark and Wilson documented the struggle of Samantar's residents to secure the rice seeds they needed to survive. They were struck by the villagers' resilience and energy, despite the tragedies they had suffered.

"Nick and I were incredibly humbled by the consistent communal spirit, humility and drive of the Nepalis we saw," Stark told The WorldPost. "Seventy-year-old women carrying 50 pounds of crops on their backs [stopped] to say 'Namaste' and bow to us in the wild heat."

Find out how Samantar's inspiring community defeated the odds and secured food for the season in Stark and Wilson's film, "Planting Life."

Visit Nehemiah Stark's  portfolio to see more of his work.