A film screening was organised by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of its second annual Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF), which is taking place around the world 5 - 18 December 2017, in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The screening of the documentary 'This is Not Paradise,' written and directed by Gaia Vianello and Lisa Tormena, also marks International Migrants Day on December 18th.

'This is Not Paradise' tells the story of migrant domestic workers toiling under harsh conditions in Lebanon. An estimated 10,000 Nepalese are currently working for Lebanese employers, many of them in domestic work. According to a Nepali government report, over 4,000 work permits have been issued to Nepali women to work in Lebanon over the past seven years.

 The second GMFF invited professional and emerging filmmakers from all over the world to submit films themed around 'the promise and challenges of migration for those who leave their homes in search of a better life and the contributions they make to their new communities.'

 A committee of international film professionals and migration specialists was formed at IOM's Geneva HQ to select the films and documentaries to be screened at the festival worldwide.

Various Nepali film makers submitted their work and the Nepali documentary 'In Search of the Riyal,' directed by Kesang Tseten, was among the films selected.

The documentary screening was followed by a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of labour migration in Nepal with experts from the government, IOM, UN agencies, development partners and civil society organizations.