Himalaya

As an admitted Tibetomaniac, I have found it hard to find anything on film/DVD about Tibet of the past other than short black & white film clips or cartoon animations. Himalaya is spot on. It very accurately depicts the culture, mores, and societal interactions of the Tibetan nomads of the past in what turns out to be a "thriller." Will the nomads be able to move across the mountains in time to avoid the coming blizzards? Should they follow the advice and instructions of the elder of the group, or listen to the younger, stronger up and coming leader? The costuming, village sets, and mountain scenes (filmed in Nepal) are extremely accurate. I know this is one I will watch again and again; highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Tibet, or mountaineering.

I saw this film at the cinema when it was released and loved it. There are no histrionics here, just a simple tale of survival, culture and belief. The cast, mostly non-actors, excel and the location scenes are breathtaking. Himalaya loses a little in translation to the small screen but the charm, honesty and authority cut through. The accompanying documentary of "the making of..." fills in the amazing background to this project and is in itself worth the price of the disc. Then there's the music - unforgettable.

This is a decent if predictable story, simple and not particularly subtle or engaging. The cinematography is nice; not as spectacular as it could have been, considering the photogenic location, but pretty. My big complaint is with the white-on-light subtitles. They are difficult and often impossible to read. I find being unable to understand the dialogue greatly detracts from my enjoyment of any film. The format is also super-wide angle; viewed on my wide-screen monitor as a ribbon across the center with deep black borders at top and bottom. This makes the subtitles (as well as the action) smaller and even that more difficult to see. I'd cut off the sides if I could figure out how, but don't think my monitor permits that. All in all, rather disappointing, especially considering all the 5 star reviews.

Done all in Nepal one of THE most beautiful places on Earth and some of the most Beautiful people. The story is simple about a village of mountain folk who earn their living by collecting salt and selling it down in the city. When the eldest son of the tribal leader dies in an accident the very old father must take over in the perilous journey. There is a lot of love and heart her as well as grand photog. Do not look for stupid Hollywood CGI junk no shoot out or any of that. But these are a very tough strong lot of folk including the women. A fantastic film. Note in Nepal it was called Caravan

This movie is mesmerizing as you view it. It is the story of tradition versus progress and how the two merge. It is showing this played out in the Mountains of Nepals in the region of Doplo and show how leaders are born. It is absolutely glorious and takes you to a region not on a tourist map.It is the story of wisdom being passed down from elders, initial rejection of it, and then learning that the way is to merge the two. I enjoyed every moment of this movie.

Worth watching over and over and over... I've been to Nepal, and this film seems to be an accurate dramatization of life in the Dolpo. Amazing work with mostly non-professional actors that give the movie an even more realistic feel. Very nice to hear the Tibetan language. Good subtitles. Very interestinig "making of" special feature. Also marketed under the title "Caravan," but some DVDs with that name are not in US format. This one is.

Oh my goodness - how did they film those mountain scenes? The director and cinematographer made it appear to have been done on location. The story is about a clash in leadership and generations. With the towns annual trading trip threatened by the loss of their informal leader to death, a new young brash leader steps up and says follow me; the old sage leader says no, follow me. This story follows the struggle over the mountain in snow to save the town's resources and income. Gripping!

Saw this 4 times in Kathmandu, Nepal when it first came out. Then saw it again in a US theater. I appreciate both audiences, but US citizens didn't get the humor that those in Nepal did. "A must see" is too cliche, but if you're interested at all in cultures that still live like their long-ago ancestors, then don't pass this one by.

I had been searching for about the last seven years for this movie after having seen it on UK TV. Sadly though this item was not available with English subtitles, so be aware!!! Only in French or Tibetan.However, English version in Blu Ray will be available in January 2014 from the US.

Loved it

Ich habe mir vor Jahren den Film "Himalaya" des Regisseurs Eric Valli auf VHS-Kassette gekauft und war seinerzeit von dem Film - natürlich mit Ausnahme der Bildqualität - restlos begeistert. Als ich nun eine Blu-ray -Fassung des Films entdeckte, war meine Freude groß. Die Lieferung der französischen Import-Disk dauerte zwar etwas länger als sonst bei Amazon, war aber durchaus im vertretbaren Rahmen. Die Blu-ray selbst hinsichtlich Bild-und Tonqualität ein Gedicht. Klare, leuchtende Farben, hervorragende Schärfe. In diesen Punkten im Vergleich zum VHS-Produkt natürlich um Längen besser. Leider läßt sich die Blu-ray nur in französischer Sprache abspielen. Eine andere Sprache, z.B. Englisch oder Deutsch kann nicht eingestellt werden. Zwar besteht die Möglichkeit, den französischen Text einzublenden,wodurch das Verständnis der Handlung auch bei mittelmäßigen französischen Schulkenntnissen noch gegeben ist. Im Grunde genommen ist die Filmhandlung jedoch ohne weiteres aus sich heraus verständlich.. Und hat man mal die alte VHS-Fassung in deutscher Sprache gesehen, bestehen keinerlei Probleme. Die Blu-ray " Himalaya " kann Freunden dieser Art von Film wärmstens empfohlen werden.

A film about transporting yaks - yeah... right.....? Wron g. This will have you on the edge of your seat. Warning. Vertigo sufferers should look away now

Estoy enamorada de esta película, estilo documental con una imagen y banda sonora de lo mejor, los actores buenísimos y la historia totalmente real, viajé dos veces a estas tierras, han cambiado nada o muy poco.