This film discusses the effects of globalisation on traditional culture and knowledge through the transitions seen in Ladakh over an eighteen-year period.

Synopsis and Review

Ladakh, in the Kashmiri region of India, is on the western Tibetan plateau of the Himalayas. With an altitude that averages 14,000 ft., with a high of 16,000 ft., conditions can be arduous yet the people of Ladakh have survived and flourished for centuries., With modernization, however, traditional knowledge and practices have begun to change and disappear. Based on a book of the same name by Helena Norborg-Hodge, this film examines the impact of globalisation on traditional knowledge and culture of Ladakh. Norburg spent 18 years in Ladakh and witnessed its transition as traditional agriculture was rapidly abandoned for commerce and as more people migrated from rural villages to the city.

While the sentimentality of its presentation may be distracting, the film presents a compelling case study of the impact of globalisation on indigenous cultures. Ladakh is not alone in the challenges it faces, and the film illustrates many issues central to the discussion of globalisation and biocultural diversity. The presentation is at times a bit idealized and the film would have benefited from a more balanced presentation of these issues. While the important point is clearly made that much can be learned from indigenous cultures like the Ladakh, the film makes little mention of problems, such as health and nutrition, that these communities face. Additionally, other than the voice of a Buddhist scholar, Ladakhi experiences are consistently told through heavy narration, leaving the viewer wanting more direct interaction and discussion with community members and less etic interpretation. Despite its weaknesses, this film is still, almost fifteen years later, an excellent study of cultural transition.

Prepared by Erin Smith