Read Jesper Lambaeks personal motivation to start the filmproject

There is much material available on why and how earthquakes occur. But not much about the people exposed to it, living with the fear of disaster on a daily basis.

The film follows four young earthquake activists around the extremely chaotic and dilapidated metropolis Kathmandu.

In a gripping, but also positive story, the young people account for the disastrous consequences, it has not to be more ready for the terrible hell scenario, all experts predict will hit Katmandu; a devastating earthquake, that will put the city in ruins and kill hundreds of thousands.

The four young activists draws the scenario.

We see among other things:

• Results of corrupt city planning, where illegally constructed towers are built in the third courtyard.
• The many houses extreme dilapidated conditions and missing earthquake protection.
• The incredibly rundown and inadequate infrastructure.
• We visit hospitals and schools without contingency plans.
• Hear the man on the street about the widespread earthquake superstition.
• Descriptions of the city's difficult geographical location, with few vulnerable access roads.

On location, the terrible consequences of the many deficiencies are described, and we are also brought back to 1934 when the last massive earthquake struck.

The film portrays the young working for change. Who struggles through exercises, discussions and happenings to improve the city's possibilities.

The purpose of the film is

• To create a greater awareness among Danish primary school students, about the earthquake threat millions of Nepalese lives with on a daily basis.
• That the film will give Danish students more knowledge about Nepal and the conditions of life, peers young people have there.
• And that the material will increase students interest in natural disasters and desire to engage in development / aid work and natural disaster protection.

The interactive web-documentary
The entire material will be published on www.thebigone.dk (currently inactive)

The film material on the site, will be approximately 45-minute interactive documentary, divided into about 20 independent movies.

Structured in parallel narratives, we are guided through the chaotic city. The four young people builds up the Danish students knowledge in independent scenes, communicating the horror they have to live with on daily basis.

Production
Production is scheduled completed the 2012

The game of coincidences
About children's rights, shown through an orphanage in Kathmandu. Prepared in cooperation with the YouthTown, Denmark.

Democracy in development
Young people displayes their city, Kathmandu. Part of webkommunikations project for Danida's Communications Unit.

Jesper writes:

The article in an magazine scared me.

The Danida magazine "Udvikling", brings in september 2011, a disturbing article titled "Nepal is waiting for the earthquake." The article tells, that there is very likely to be a strong earthquake in the Kathmandu area in the foreseeable future. Kathmandu is geographically located at a position that guarantees earthquakes, and since nothing has been there since 1934, then laying the the city desolated, the experts agree that Kathmandu, if the earthquake hit the city tomorrow, in major scale will surpass Haiti.

I visualize terrible scenes. A true disaster. A hell on earth. My friends in need. My friends dead. Everything in place for the big scene. A true settle of the worst nightmare.

I know the city. I have visited it three times. I have filmed and worked there. Traveled the length and breadth. Visited people of all walks of life.

I have even made films with young people about the city. We filmed the extreme traffic, the insufficient and absurd electrical power supplies and the heavy polluted rivers.

I have been sitting hours after hours in fixed traffic jams, in the hopeless and extremely inadequate infrastructure.

The worst that can happen
The worst scenario is in the night. Katmandu sleeps. The inhabitants lie in their beds, on mattresses or rush mats and sleep. They are often manny in small rooms. The powerful tremors come without warning.

So many houses in Katmandu are striking rundown. The entire townscape is characterized by a haggard, ugly facade of unfinished and destroyed houses. I am no expert, but solid, they do not look. Many will collapse at the first shake. They will collapse over the sleeping. In Haiti, some say, 250000 people died within 40 seconds. How many will die here?

Hell on earth. The survivors will pass on the streets, out of the houses. The already incredibly primitive and improvised electricity supply system, will collapse. The roads will be full of fallen power lines and collapsed houses. Ambulances, police and fire engines will not be getting through.

The public system is already on the pumps in Nepal. There is no real preparedness for such a situation. People are left to themselves and to the mercy of the outside world.

The morning comes to Katmandu. Human beings are in shock. You hear screams from the ruins. People tries to help others out. There are aftershocks. Nothing works. Telephone communication, water supply, infrastructure, electricity. Everything is down.

The small airport in Katmandu is perhaps still useful.
How many days does it take until humanitarian aid arrives?
How will it reach?
From India and China?
The roads from there, can be blocked by landslides. The bridges collapsed. It is hell.

How many will die in the ruins? How many will die due to lack of treatment?
Are some hospitals still standing? At what level do they function?

It's indescribable. All the conditions are present for hell on earth.

But what can I do? I love Nepal. I have friends there. I know how the conditions are.

I must tell the story. This is what I can do. I have to tell, how it is in Katmandu. Its know by very few. The world must know that in Katmandu the framework for hell on earth is set.

I want to tell a story about the city and its inhabitants. I want to share my fascination and love for the place. I want to try to influence the world to understand, that we must help Katmandu to prepare for the quake. Through education, emergency planning and earthquake prevention. My movie can push on to that process. It can support the argument for preparation.

Danish film director looking for four young people from Nepal, for an earthquake documentary in Katmandu.

Jesper Lambaek writes:

"I am shooting an educational documentary film in Katmandu;
The Big One - the earthquake is coming, but when?

I want to tell the world about the terrible consequences Katmandu
will suffer, if the earthquake came tomorrow.

For the film I need four young people from Nepal as the main characters.

I need two boys and two girls. Age 15-20. Outgoing and with good verbal english.

They need to have worked with the earthquake issue in school projects, ore even better as volunteers/activists in groups ore organizations working with the earthquake threat.

The film will be produced in the period from 1. May - 17. May 2012 i Katmandu.

During that period they must be available for approximately five days of shooting.

There is no salary, but all expenses will be covered.

Please share this message!

Thanks a lot - looking forward hearing from you "

Contact Jesper Lambaek for more information