For decades the aged Tinle led his villagers on the perilous but vital trip through the Himalayas to trade their salt for grain. Now leadership has fallen to his son, who is killed in suspicious circumstances. Tinle suspects Karma, who wants to take his place at the head of the caravans. The old chief seeks to regain his authority, and after Karma leads one mission across the mountains, Tinle rallies a group of veterans in an attempt to overtake the young pretender. Inevitably, there's a love story, concerning Karma and the beautiful, young Pema, played by Lhakpa Tsamchoe, familiar from her role in Seven Years in Tibet.
Despite a strong and at times shocking story line, it is the fascinating and visually stunning setting which remains in the memory.
This engages on two levels. Firstly, the intricacies and sheer unworldliness of the tribe's existence is beautifully and effortlessly captured. Valli has been living in Nepal since 1983, working as a writer, photographer and documentary maker. This accounts for the film's detailed authenticity, strengthened by his use of villagers, as opposed to actors, playing the majority of roles.
Secondly, and overwhelmingly, the imperious mountainous of Nepal give the work grace and grandeur. The terrain, at once savage and divinely beautiful, somehow ennobles the people who live in its snowy shadows, and lends the work a soaring, majestic quality.
Valli's ambition is frozen into every frame and it's apparent that he intended to create a work that, as he stated, would form "a timeless saga that tells a story of power, pride and glory". With a beginner's courage and enthusiasm he's just about succeeded.
Gavin Collinson
Previous films
on BBC Four
The movie was filmed entirely on location in the Himalayas, in a 9-month shoot at altitudes between 12,000 and 15,000 feet.
