Die Salzmänner von Tibet

Since as long as anyone can remember, cowherds live in the North of Tibet on the rough and hard to till plateau of the Himalayas, where they let their yaks graze on the highest meadows in the world. Every spring, the men leave with their strong pack animals for the difficult journey to the salt lakes. These lakes high in the Himalayas are among the largest salt reserves in the world. They are increasingly subject to industrial exploitation and the salt extracted is now taken away by truck.Die Salzmännner von Tibet follows one of the nomad caravans on its journey lasting weeks with more that a hundred yaks, searching for the ‘white gold’. It is a journey that has become ritualised over the course of centuries. For instance, only men are allowed to visit the lakes. Koch had to bear in mind this religious element and stay away from the lake. Sensitiveness on the side of the government made her cameraman Pio Corradi film with a small digital camera. This made it possible for him to get very close, even to the actual salt mining. In the background we can always see the impressive and strange landscape of the Himalayas, immense mountains that look down on the activities of the salt men, who are doomed by technological progress.