Die Salzmänner von Tibet

Jul 22 1998 N/A 1h 48m
Documentary

Four men from a nomadic Tibetan tribe undertake their annual, ritualistic pilgrimage to a sacred salt lake. Salt gathered in this traditional fashion will be sold to provide the economic livelihood of the tribe for the coming year. The journey, necessary for the group's survival, also incorporates a number of rituals necessary for their culture to survive in the modern world.

Plot

In Tibet's Changtang region, nomads harvest salt to buy barley. A clan prepares four of its men for an annual trek to Lake Tsento, where they rake salt from shoals into piles, then into bags, and onto their yaks to return, 90-days in all. After picking an auspicious day to depart, they feast, sing, tell stories, and race horses. Women are forbidden on this sacred trip. All is ritualized: Margen cooks, Pargen prepares burnt offerings and distributes meat, Zopon cares for the caravan of 160 yaks, Bopsa bends his strong back to arduous work. To each other they speak the secret language of saltmen; they pray and observe exemplary behavior. The goddess of the lake smiles upon them.

Written by

Ulrike Koch

Directed by

Ulrike Koch

Cast

Margen, Pargen, Zopon

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Switzerland, Germany

Languages

, Deutsch

Awards

2 wins

Scores
# of Votes
310
Average Rating
7.4 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA