May
31
2007
Netflix description:
“… gripping installment from the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Nature. Silent Roar: Searching for the Snow Leopard is an intimate portrait of the striking, elusive snow leopard of the Himalayas.” (2006)
My thoughts…
While distinctly uninspired as a documentary, the subject matter is visually so stunning that I was riveted. I probably looked mentally feeble as I watched: every fifteen seconds or so, my jaw would drop, I’d wag my head and I’d mutter something articulate like “wow.” On the down-side, the brutality of that high mountain terrain — and how ill-suited we Westerners are to it — made me decide I was crazy to be going.
May
30
2007
Netflix description:
“As the denizens of a Tibetan village prepare for their arduous annual trek to exchange salt for grain, the community’s allegiances are split between aging chieftain Tinle and rebellious young Karma. Tinle tries to maintain his clout and preserve obedience to ancient customs when Karma challenges the old man’s power.”
My thoughts…
The first part of the movie careened toward cliché with its predictable plot and characters, but fortunately it evolved into a more complex and engaging story. Particularly interesting was what the movie revealed — not just by script but by the demeanor of the actors — about Tibetan culture and history. The scenery of course was stunning. Humbling, too; the extended blizzard scene was brutal. Sadly, Cheryl told me that in the Dolpa region where the movie was filmed, dozens of people died yesterday in a similar storm. From today’s The Hindu…
“The status of hundreds of persons who went missing in a snowstorm in the rugged mountains in west Nepal, is still unknown.
“As the region is still covered in snow and remains inaccessible, rescue teams have failed to reach the area.
“A Nepal army helicopter has airdropped a rescue team comprising army and police personnel near the snowstorm-hit region and they are waiting for the bad weather to clear.
“At least 16 persons have been reported killed, and hundreds of others are missing. Most of the villagers had gone to the mountainous regions of Dolpa, Kalikot and Darchula to collect yarchagumba, a natural aphrodisiac.
“Yarchagumba (Cordyceps sinensis) is a rare species of parasitic fungus that grows on the bodies of insect larvae. Used as an aphrodisiac and in the treatment of various ailments, yarchagumba can fetch up to $1,400 per kg in the local market.”
