The Saltmen of Tibet

by Ulrike Koch

Switzerland

Director: Ulrike Koch

Cineamtographer: Pio Corradi

Editing: Magdolna Rokob

Music: Stephan et Franck Wulff

Production: Captics Coproductions, Duran Films

Distribution:
Connaissance du Cinéma
122 rue La Boétie
75008 Paris
France
Tel: 0033 1.43.59.01.01
Fax: 0033 1.43.59.64.41
Mail: [email protected]

Year: 1997

35 mm, Colour, 110 min
OV Tibetan & Secret Saltmen Language with Fench Subtitles.

Awarded in Paris, Taormina & Busan

Four men are carefully preparing their caravan and their yaks to travel in search of salt, their white gold. This three months lasting journey it is also initiatory. They perform certain rites and customs; they worship nature, the mountains and the gods who seem to be present at every step. The Goddess of the Salted Lake keeps a watchful eye on the men of the caravan. If she became infuriated, salt would disappear.

This documentary shot in the northern part of Tibet allows us to share these men's thousand-year-old tradition, which is now threatened by the competition of the trucks.

“One of the things we tried out with the film was to turn the Tibetan salt marsh workers' extraordinary life into a dream”. Ulrike Koch