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Director's
Notes: Eric Valli
 This
film evolved from the epic life of two of my closest Tibetan friends,
Tinle and Norbou. Tinle is a yakpa, or "cowboy" - a man of action,
a fighter, a challenge-seeker, and a leader. Norbou is a lama and a painter
- a man entirely devoted to prayers and art. When I first met him, he
had never set foot outside his monastery. Both men live in the Dolpo region,
one of the highest and most isolated areas nestled deep in the Nepalese
Himalayas. Protected by political and geographical barriers, the Dolpo
is truly hidden country, guarding the inviolate heart of Tibet.
By uniting the lives of both characters, the film naturally emerged. Tinle became Norbou's father. The mysterious death of a family member brings them together despite their ideological differences. They must confront, with superhuman strength, an ordeal that may the whole valley's destiny. It was essential that I remain true to my sources. The writing of the story with Olivier Dazat had to be done in cooperation with Tinle, Norbou and the other characters in the film. I intentionally prefer to use the word "characters" instead of the term "actors", because these men and women essentially played themselves in front of a camera, a new experience for most of them. Some might even compare their lives to characters straight out of a Jack London or Joseph Conrad novel. The action takes place during the snow season when yak caravans traditionally cross the Himalayas carrying the salt from the high plateau down to the plains. This film is a sort of western - a Tibetan western - a universal and timeless saga that tells a story of power, pride and glory that could have taken place in the seas of Japan, the Normandy plains or deep in Texas. In order to present the culture truthfully, we had to shoot the film in the heart of that particular environment where the characters live and breathe. This bracing, nine-month shoot in the Himalayas at altitudes between 12,000 and 15,000 feet presented a physical and technical challenge, but also a beautiful adventure, for the film crew. |
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Reflections The crew on this film was small for a film of this scope and yet, working with the crew was a heavier and slower task that I was not accustomed to in previous films. But the teamwork involved between the cast and crew allowed me to build and recreate emotional moments that documentary films cannot always capture. For me, it was important to convey the very essence of their universe, which is so different from ours. My work as a director was to let my characters express themselves as they wanted. I had to be as transparent as possible and let the force and richness of their own lives come forward. I was telling their story and history. They were the masters ; I was their student. I chose not to mention politics. Other authors have done it. But I only wanted to portray the life of these snow-country men, their weaknesses, their beauty, and their humanity. My friend Norbou, the lama and painter, says we had to make this film as testimony before traditions melt away and vanishes just as snow does under the sun. Adapted
from an interview of Eric Valli |
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The
joy and frustration of making a documentary film naturally led me to want
to make a feature film.