Directing

Deepak Rauniyar

Born August 29, 1978 · Saptari, Nepal (age 48)

Deepak Rauniyar (born Aug 29, 1978) is a visionary filmmaker who has played a pivotal role in placing Nepali cinema on the global map through his unflinching, socially conscious storytelling. Shifting away from traditional commercial formulas, he gained international prominence with his 2012 film Highway that marked a turning point, becoming the first Nepali film to screen at the Berlin Internatio…

Known For

Private Property

Private Property · 2026

Private Property

Two outsiders – Maya, a Nepali immigrant working overnight to build a future, and Danny, an unhoused Black veteran searching for warmth and shelter – clash over one small space. Maya reaches for the law, then a gun, to belong.

Highway

Highway · 2012

Five different relationship stories become connected during an ill-fated bus journey from eastern Nepal to the capital, Kathmandu.

White Sun

White Sun · 2016

Young Pooja lives with her mother in a village in Nepal. Though saddened by the death of her grandfather, she is secretly thrilled at the prospect of meeting the man she hopes may be her father — Chandra, a former Maoist guerrilla who is returning home after a decade-long civil conflict.

Four Nights

Four Nights · 2022

Ram and Maya move thousands of miles from their home in Nepal in hopes of realizing their dream in New York City. As Ram works to finish his feature film, Maya receives a job offer that puts a strain on their relationship and calls into question what they are willing to sacrifice to maintain the lifestyle of international filmmakers.

Pooja, Sir

Pooja, Sir · 2025

MovieCrimeThriller

When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case. But when she arrives, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case - but at what personal cost?

Death on the Streets

Death on the Streets · 2020

Death on the Streets

Like the majority of modern-day farm men in the US, Kurt is out of work, unable to provide for his family. Smothered by a sense of void and hopelessness, he takes to the road, in a quest for his lost self-esteem. An existential journey of disenchantment that cuts right through the soul of the American inland, juxtaposing the shiny promises of the past with the harsh reality of a bleached-out Dream.

Filmography

Sort

Private Property

Private Property · 2026

Private Property

Two outsiders – Maya, a Nepali immigrant working overnight to build a future, and Danny, an unhoused Black veteran searching for warmth and shelter – clash over one small space. Maya reaches for the law, then a gun, to belong.

Director

Highway

Highway · 2012

Five different relationship stories become connected during an ill-fated bus journey from eastern Nepal to the capital, Kathmandu.

Director

White Sun

White Sun · 2016

Young Pooja lives with her mother in a village in Nepal. Though saddened by the death of her grandfather, she is secretly thrilled at the prospect of meeting the man she hopes may be her father — Chandra, a former Maoist guerrilla who is returning home after a decade-long civil conflict.

Director

Four Nights

Four Nights · 2022

Ram and Maya move thousands of miles from their home in Nepal in hopes of realizing their dream in New York City. As Ram works to finish his feature film, Maya receives a job offer that puts a strain on their relationship and calls into question what they are willing to sacrifice to maintain the lifestyle of international filmmakers.

Director

Pooja, Sir

Pooja, Sir · 2025

MovieCrimeThriller

When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case. But when she arrives, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case - but at what personal cost?

Director

Death on the Streets

Death on the Streets · 2020

Death on the Streets

Like the majority of modern-day farm men in the US, Kurt is out of work, unable to provide for his family. Smothered by a sense of void and hopelessness, he takes to the road, in a quest for his lost self-esteem. An existential journey of disenchantment that cuts right through the soul of the American inland, juxtaposing the shiny promises of the past with the harsh reality of a bleached-out Dream.

Co-Producer