NOMADS, THE GENERATION AFTER

Living high

An episode from the series TRIBES OF THE HIMALAYAS

Synopsis

In the Indian region of Ladakh, in the heart of the Himalayas, a few thousands nomadic sheppperds still live with their herds at an altitude of 4,500 meters.

Through the daily life of a Tibetan family, we try to understand the deep changes these people are confronting. Their 14 year old daughter is studying in a Tibetan school and lives in a self-administered children village. In a nomadic settlement the routine is grueling, especially during winter when temperatures, even in the shelter of a tent, can fall below minus 30°C. This is an existence closer to survival than normal life.

Will this new generation, the one getting an education, be keen to perpetuate such a punishing traditional lifestyle?