NFF 2025: ‘She Walks A Line’ documentary feature with Director Q&A (15)

She Walks a Line is a gripping documentary that reveals the harrowing journey of thousands of young Nepali women and girls who are coerced across the border into India each year.

Once across the notoriously porous 1,000-mile frontier, most are sold into the sex industry, forced into domestic servitude or subjected to organ and skin harvesting. This border has become one of the world’s most prolific human trafficking routes.

Amidst international indifference, one Nepali woman, Shanta Sapkota, has taken a courageous stand to combat this humanitarian crisis. Driven by heartbreak and a fierce determination, she leads a team of female anti-human trafficking operatives at the Mahendranagar crossing, a critical checkpoint where the fate of many young lives hangs in the balance.

This exclusively nonwhite, female-led documentary takes the audience deep into the heart of this mission. Through the eyes of rescuers, victims, and traffickers, we witness the raw emotions, heart-wrenching struggles, and moments of triumph that define this battle against human trafficking.

At its core, She Walks a Line is a story of empowerment—of women fighting for justice, of traffickers manipulating the vulnerable, and of a divine calling that has inspired one woman to stand her ground in the face of adversity. This film not only tells a story; it ignites a movement.

Director Biography – TIMOTHY STUART LOVELL

Timothy Lovell is a highly accomplished professional in the film and television industry, with a career spanning over three decades. A multi-award-winning editor, he has contributed his expertise to critically acclaimed international feature documentaries, including Mugabe and the White African, Hawking, and Outbreak. In recent years, Timothy has expanded his skill set to encompass self-shooting and directing, further enriching his ability to craft compelling narratives.

Passionate about ethical filmmaking, Timothy Lovell is committed to creating and amplifying stories that highlight underrepresented voices. His recent projects include the critically acclaimed anti-human trafficking documentary You Are Beautiful and the award-winning Operation Goldilocks.

Through his work, Timothy continues to champion impactful storytelling, using film as a powerful medium to address vital social issues and inspire change.

Accolades / Credits include:

Awarded Membership

The Guild of British Film and Television Editors, GBFE

Winner of the following International Awards:

BAFTA, EMMY, GRIERSON, SCRIPPS HOWARD, ONE WORLD MEDIA

Nominated for the Royal Television Society Award

Outbreak: The truth about Ebola

BBC Television / PBS Television

Winner of the Royal Television Society Award

Nominated for BAFTA

The Hunt Natural History Documentary Series

BBC Television & international broadcast

Winner of the Royal Television Society Award

Best Natural History Film of 2014

Africa’s Giant Killers

BBC Television and international broadcast

OFFICIAL SELECTION FOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS

SXSW, EDINBURGH AND CAMBRIDGE

INTERNATIONAL CINEMA RELEASE & international broadcast

HAWKING Feature documentary

Winner of the following International Awards:

BIFA, SILVERDOCKS, AMNESTY, HAMPTONS, GRIERSON

Shortlisted for ACADEMY AWARDS (Oscar),

Nominated for BAFTA

INTERNATIONAL CINEMA RELEASE & international broadcast

Mugabe & the White African Feature documentary

Director Statement

To gather the footage for this film, I was required to embed myself with the Peace Rehabilitation Center (PRC) border operatives in Southwest Nepal. My ambition was to document their courageous fight against prolific human trafficking endeavors along that notoriously porous border. I wanted to unpack on camera the complexities of human trafficking, the lies, mysteries, triumphs, and heartache the team faces every day.

PRC’s team in Nepal has enough challenges without all the inconvenience of a filmmaker documenting their every move. However, they accommodated my needs with grace and patience. In bringing this story to the screen, I firmly believe they withheld nothing from me about their mode of operation. This transparency is to be applauded.

During the process of filming, I was greatly impacted by the very real risks these female operatives take every single day to find and recover children being cruelly sold for sex. They exhibit a profound compassion for these children and an unquenchable passion to do everything in their power to intercept them before they are lost over the border.

I would like to thank the Peace Rehabilitation Center (PRC) team in Nepal for allowing me to film with them and produce this intimate insight into their exhausting, dangerous, and hugely inspiring work.