A 2 week trip to Nepal, extended to 2 months, as the land and a Tibetan village, captivated our Hearts.

Nepal
With the beginning of spring this year, by invitation of our dear friend Corinne Cavenaghi, we excitedly and full heartedly said YES to travel to Nepal and spend 11 days together as a small group of 10 people from all over the world - with the plan to spend just a couple more days afterwards just the 2 of us, and from there continue our travels to India.
It happened that the land of Nepal, its people, and culture touched us so deeply that we extended our stay week by week, and what was intended to be 2 weeks in the end was nearly 2 months. We were so immersed that we decided to cancel our India plans and just really take in this one land to the fullest, before returning to Berlin.

Kagbeni
As the two of us have been feeling a strong connection and calling to Tibet for some years, we knew that being in Nepal is a great opportunity to come closer and possibly encounter Tibetan culture.
And so it was.
Through extensive research and long conversation with our new Nepali friends, we made a plan to travel from the Kathmandu valley, taking a short flight over to Pokhara, and from there further venturing north with a local bus (a wild ride!) into the Lower Mustang region of Nepal.
After 9 bumpy hours, we arrived at the Mustang District, an ancient forbidden kingdom, bordered by the Tibetan Plateau and sheltered by some of the world’s tallest peaks.
There, in the valley of two sacred rivers, lies Kagbeni - one of the oldest Tibetan settlement villages in Lower Mustang, Himalayan region.

Most visitors pass this village by, as the popular destination is to continue to Muktinath, an hour further, where many tourists and those practicing Hinduism, come to seek liberation in the waters of Muktinath temple, also known as the Vishnu Temple.
On a cold and windy morning, we hopped off the bus in Kagbeni, and walked up to an old stone house, with a big sign "Red House". There we inquired to stay for some nights, and were warmly welcomed with a masala milk tea, local buckwheat pan bread and Aloo Mustang (spiced potatoes), while we waited for our room to be prepared.
As we sipped our chai, we could hear a faint flute sound coming from behind the wall - following the sound, walking up closer to a door that was slightly cracked open - there was sitting, Sanish. Playing his flute, with singing bowls placed in a half circle around him.

The time period that we experienced this man as a stranger was unexpectedly short - just a few first shy moments, until our hearts clicked and he became a dear friend, truly. And later a collaborator in the film project itself.
As if we were meant to meet.

Sanish is a Nepali painter, musician and sound healer. He began to share with us about where we were - explaining that the Red House is an old Monastery, or rather Nunnery, which was converted to a lodge, with much preserved. Inside the Monastery is a beautiful Tibetan structure with a ghumba (Tibetan Shrine), storing Tibetan text books and a 5 ft tall Buddha statue enigmatically standing in the center. No one knows who made or placed this statue there, but it is the second highest in the Mustang region, and it was so large and heavy that there was no moving it from its place. Thus the house was built around it, in such a way, that now the Buddha is a small temple room, standing in the heart of the house. Once a day, at sunrise, 5:30am, one of the old nuns who still lives there, comes to open the door, lights candles and incense, and during this time you can enter to pray, meditate, or simply be in the presence of the Buddha statue.
There in Red House, we began extending our stay day by day, captivated by the atmosphere.
It is a place where one can meet oneself.
In the mornings we would enjoy a chai on the rooftop, gazing the snowy mountain tops, witnessing the small village and its humble way of life. In the evenings we would receive and enjoy sound journeys from Sanish. The sound also became a way to feel the mountains we were amidst.
There is where we felt completely at home. And there, is where the words for the film flowed. From which the inspiration and impulse came to capture the village, its inhabitants and their way of life in moving images.
Together, we set the intention to transmit the essence of Kagbeni through poetry film - framing a portrait of this one unique place on Earth.
A film which transports you right there, to the mountains, to the Red House and maybe touching in you, what was touched in us.

Kagbeni - A Himalayan Tale
A 20min experimental short film, now in the final refinement stage, which will be send to film festivals soon.
And hopefully, someday, some place, it will find its way to your eyes, ears and heart as well.
Thank you for reading.
We hope that you enjoyed this glimpse into our Nepal journey and maybe it has evoked your own memories of the land, its culture and people or brought forth a calling to soon be experiencing it for the first time yourself. If that is so, we'd be happy to assist you with insights from our own travels and possibly connect you to places and people.
With Love, Masha & Omid

E A R T H P O R T R A I T
Celebrating Lands . Bridging People .
Find out more about Earth Portrait here.
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