Yulia Kapshuck

Several years ago, I became fascinated with the history and culture of the Kingdom of Lo lost in the Himalayas. I studied the history of ancient Tibet and wanted to understand the traditions and ethnic characteristics of the Lhoba people, the Tibetans who settled on the territory of modern Nepal and founded a kingdom like no other.

Over time, I got the idea to shoot a movie about the life of these indigenous people of the Himalayan highlands.

The malleability of the film image shimmering with dark and light as from the darkness of centuries would help to tell about this fusion of archaic culture, religion, and thought of these people living along with us in the 21st century.

I went to the Himalayas and lived in the Kingdom of Lo with young monks. I filmed them playing rounders, singing mantras, learning the Tibetan alphabet. I befriended Lhoba women and mothers, filmed their everyday life, filmed them feeding, cradling, bringing up children, housekeeping. I filmed the labor of rustic men plowing the land with plows and yaks.

I succeeded in recording several songs and tender lullabies in different dialects spoken today in this area. Partially, I managed to use them in the film. I was sincerely struck by the people I met, their openness, and their inner directness.

The film competed at the Hong Kong Documentary International Film Festival.