JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR played Sunday at Winter Park Village at 6:15 PM and will screen again at Enzian on Thursday, April 14 at 4:00 PM during the Florida Film Festival. [details]
By Sultana F. Ali
Contributing writer
At a film festival, you do not always know what you are walking into when you purchase that ticket you hold in your hot hand. But with “Journey to Zanskar,” I had an inkling. Many people might be flummoxed to point out Tibet on a map. However, since I have made a habit of traveling to the places where few Americans go, I’d been to Nepal, Tibet’s neighbor, in 2007. Considered to be the rooftop of the world, Nepal is home to the eight of the highest mountains on planet earth. So, as the movie opened on the dry, rocky scenery of nearby Tibet, I felt a calm peacefulness and familiarity wash over me - from the humble, grateful personality of the villagers in the rural Zanskar, to the earthy colors of the monk robes. The movie itself is about a journey, detailing the struggles two monks endure to help transport 16 children over the perilous Himalaya mountains to enroll them in school in the more developed town of Manali.
As the movie unfolds, you could feel the same collective thought forming in the minds of all audience members – we have no understanding of true hardship. Families part with their children, tears in their eyes knowing they may never see them again but are sending them off to gain a better future. Children are strapped to weak horses traveling toward treacherous mountain passes led by monks with plastic material wrapped around their legs to keep out the snow. Death is a reality in this equation, though miraculously, they manage to keep everyone alive.
The movie is emotive, a raw portrayal of the deep respect the families have for these monks and the happy faith the monks manage to keep, no matter the obstacle they are met with. Knee deep snow? No problem, we will turn around and find another way. Have to deal with budget overruns to pay for a bus for transport? No worries, it’s just money. Don’t get me wrong, the monks are very human, but their ability to “change their mind” or attitude, is simply admirable. Their passion to complete the mission when so many would have given up is nothing short of inspiring.
I was left moved, reminiscent of my own trek in the Himalayas and memories of the sincere, warm people I had met there, some of them Tibetan. This is not a sit-back-and-watch movie, but a call to action to save Tibetan culture and provide educational opportunities for their poor. See the movie and find out how you can make a difference at www.savezanskar.com.
By Sultana F. Ali
Contributing writer
At a film festival, you do not always know what you are walking into when you purchase that ticket you hold in your hot hand. But with “Journey to Zanskar,” I had an inkling. Many people might be flummoxed to point out Tibet on a map. However, since I have made a habit of traveling to the places where few Americans go, I’d been to Nepal, Tibet’s neighbor, in 2007. Considered to be the rooftop of the world, Nepal is home to the eight of the highest mountains on planet earth. So, as the movie opened on the dry, rocky scenery of nearby Tibet, I felt a calm peacefulness and familiarity wash over me - from the humble, grateful personality of the villagers in the rural Zanskar, to the earthy colors of the monk robes. The movie itself is about a journey, detailing the struggles two monks endure to help transport 16 children over the perilous Himalaya mountains to enroll them in school in the more developed town of Manali.
As the movie unfolds, you could feel the same collective thought forming in the minds of all audience members – we have no understanding of true hardship. Families part with their children, tears in their eyes knowing they may never see them again but are sending them off to gain a better future. Children are strapped to weak horses traveling toward treacherous mountain passes led by monks with plastic material wrapped around their legs to keep out the snow. Death is a reality in this equation, though miraculously, they manage to keep everyone alive.
The movie is emotive, a raw portrayal of the deep respect the families have for these monks and the happy faith the monks manage to keep, no matter the obstacle they are met with. Knee deep snow? No problem, we will turn around and find another way. Have to deal with budget overruns to pay for a bus for transport? No worries, it’s just money. Don’t get me wrong, the monks are very human, but their ability to “change their mind” or attitude, is simply admirable. Their passion to complete the mission when so many would have given up is nothing short of inspiring.
I was left moved, reminiscent of my own trek in the Himalayas and memories of the sincere, warm people I had met there, some of them Tibetan. This is not a sit-back-and-watch movie, but a call to action to save Tibetan culture and provide educational opportunities for their poor. See the movie and find out how you can make a difference at www.savezanskar.com.