And audiences are touched by this. The film is rich with detail, perfectly chosen locations and an intimate feel for the rhythms and rituals of mountain life, and this is precisely because Valli has immersed himself deeply in the culture. I like these kind of people, like Tinle, like Karma.
Every day is a challenge.
And you have to be able to trust your neighbor. Village elder Tinle is enraged when his eldest son dies in an accident, and holds the caravan's new leader, Karma, responsible. Another caravan is due to set out before winter, but Tinle refuses to let Karma lead it. Karma sets out anyway, well before the shaman's auspicious date. Tinle, determined to assert his authority, enlists his second son Norbu, a Buddhist monk, and sets out at a furious pace to overtake Karma's caravan, choosing some dangerously precipitous shortcuts.