The director and producer of “Paving Shangri La” is now looking at the Island’s whaling history as a source of inspiration.

However, in the meantime, Andrew Stevenson said that he has again committed to showing his film at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) — possibly the last time.

The film, done during one of the avid traveller’s treks in Nepal, is about a road being built across Nepal by the Chinese authorities, whose goal, he claims, was to prevent the mountain kingdom from falling into the political orbit of India. It airs for the seventh time on November 28 at 6.30 p.m.

Mr. Stevenson said that since the film has drawn much attention since it became one of the finalists at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival in May.

“Paving Shangri La” was selected to go on a world tour with other films from the festival.

“This was an even more select selection of the finalists,” Mr. Stevenson said.

“I’ve had numerous invitations to enter and present “Paving Shangri La” at several other venues in the USA, France, Russia, Canada, Holland, Nepal and New Zealand. I do enter these festivals when invited, but obviously I can’t go and attend all of them, although I’m going next week as a guest of the Montreal International Adventure Film Festival to present my film during their final public screenings, where only 32 films entered made the final cut.”

Considering that “Paving Shangri La” is up against films with huge budgets and a long list of credits, it’s been amazing for Mr. Stevenson to see the film do so well with a budget of nothing and a crew of one.

“I’m also starting to work on putting together a project proposal to do another film, this time in Bermuda,” he said.

“I want to make a 30- to 50-minute documentary film on the history and culture of whaling in Bermuda (including) future directions of the whale watching tourism industry,” he said.

“This would be geared for the Bermuda market, BUEI, schools and local television. I’ll also do a funkier ten- to 15-minute version of the Bermuda humpback whales for the international film festival circuit.”

Asked how had he moved from the politics of transport in the Himalayas to seeking out mammals in the Atlantic Ocean, he said: “There’s something visceral about seeing these primordial leviathans, especially underwater.

“Sometimes we get so carried away with our lives in Bermuda, traffic jams, politics, housing, overcrowding and yet within sight of our shores is an underwater world being lived by intelligent creatures that is completely alien to ours.

“Like most of us, I’m moved by seeing these animals. I discovered with my film on the Himalayas that it’s important to have a passion for what you film and the story you tell.

“I want to make a high definition film on the humpbacks to share my passion with others, to give them an insight into this undersea world and these magnificent animals.”

It is possible now to get into the water with humpback whales, and other whales, and gain a better perspective on how they survive, added the director.

“It’s also pretty remarkable that it would have been unthinkable to jump in the water with humpbacks only a couple of decades ago and that as recently as 1940 and 1942 the last two whales were hunted and killed here in Bermuda.

“Despite centuries of hunting them to the brink of extinction, to think that a whale, despite its size, will carefully and gently swim around a diver borders on being unbelievable. To witness a curious humpback whale ‘spy hop’ so that he can inspect the occupants of a boat from just 15 feet away is mind-boggling.”

Asked whether re-screening “Paving Shangi La” is a way to raise funds for his new film and to create more awareness of himself as a film director, Mr. Stevenson said: “Both. ‘Paving Shangri La’ has shown seven times at BUEI or the Liberty Theatre to sold-out audiences, as well as schools and clubs and other organisations. I still have people asking when I’m going to show it again, so I’ll screen it, probably for the last time on Tuesday.

“This will not only help defray the costs in making ‘Paving Shangri La’ but will also create more awareness of my ability as a film producer and director.

“Sometimes I feel I’m best known these days for being the father of a three-year-old daughter called Elsa through my Family Man articles in the rg Magazine with cartoons by Peter Woolcock.

“Raising awareness of my abilities as a documentary producer will hopefully open doors as far as potential funders are concerned.”

The film screens at BUEI on November 28 at 6.30 p.m. Tickets $20, are available from www.boxoffice.bm or the Bermuda Bookstore.