Saving Dolma

Directed by Kesang Tseten

Things do not always work out the way they hoped they would, but events here have hit Dolma, a Nepali woman working illegally in Kuwait, particularly hard: she stands accused of murdering a Filipino colleague, and despite her protests of innocence she has been sentenced to death. This documentary presents the many reactions that this news unleashes. Dolma’s husband – who has also worked in Iraq – and other relatives can hardly believe it. Others wonder why the government is not coming to her aid. An activist who champions the interests of Nepalese women in the Gulf States explains that prohibiting women from going to work there is counter-productive. Now that the women are illegal, abuse is the order of the day. As the story progresses, attempts are made to come to a settlement with the Filipino family, Dolma’s husband also visits his son, who is being cared for in a remote mountain village.