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Made in 1972, this film is concerned with the traditional trans-Himalayan trade which links the relatively low-altitude, grain-growing regions of Nepal with high-altitude Tibet, the traditional source of most of the salt and wool imported by Nepal. It also provides information about and illustration of the ways of life and the history of the diverse peoples in the areas through which the trade passes.
Using rare archival footage and interviews with the legendary anthropologist, Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, and adivasi activists from the 80s and 90s, some of whom were killed by Indian security forces for their opposition to "commercial forestry projects", the film explores the continuing struggle of the adivasis. It also focused on a moment of hope when the government brought in the Forest Rights Act (2006) to right "historic wrongs" only to betray that promise, so as to protect predatory developers against these expendable peoples.
