Every winter Mikma and her family travel by foot from their village deep in the Himalaya of Nepal to sell local medicinal plants in urban markets. This year, construction of a new highway to China has begun in their roadless valley, and things are never going to be the same.
Partially complete, the highway project will transform this roadless Himalayan valley permanently and open up a direct transport route between Nepal and China – bringing new challenges, new opportunities, and ultimately a new way of being to those who live along its path.
BAATO (n. [Nepali] 1. path, trail 2. way 3. road) is “… surprising impactful … ” [Film Threat] and “… rich visual document …” [Nepali Times] that is “… at once a sensitive portrait of a family that has thus far existed largely apart from the trappings of modernity, a fascinating chronicle of the epic journey they embark on each year, and a penetrating depiction of the culture and politics of Nepal.” [Anthology Film Archives]
TRAILER + SOUNDTRACK
These organizations are actively working for positive change in the area:
KTK BELT’s mission is to catalyze new models of biodiversity conservation and environmental learning in eastern Nepal. The idea is to give a framework to local farmers to become ‘professors’ of the Vertical University, to share their indigenous knowledge while also physically conserving threatened species and landscapes.
The Karma & Jyamu Bhotia Foundation was founded to fund and implement programs in the Bhot-Khola to develop education, promote health awareness, improve living conditions, foster economic opportunities and promote cross-cultural awareness for all residents of the Bhot-Khola.
Educate the Children – Nepal works with women and children in Nepal to improve health, welfare, and self-sufficiency by building skills that families can pass down to later generations. ETC’s time-tested program model encourages sustainable self-reliance in marginalized communities.