Rating: 
Summary: True to Dolpo
Review: Having travelled to Dolpo (the location of this film) and lived there for roughly three weeks, I can tell you that this film very accurately portrays the surroundings and the people. I've trekked with salt traders, and met several of the "actors." Eric Valli and his crew weren't as good to the area as it was to them, but the outcome of the film can give an outsider a feel for this Tibetan culture high in the mountains of Nepal.
Rating: 
Summary: simplicity and beauty
Review: Himalaya leaves you with a feeling of strength about the human spirit. The premise of the story is simple but manages to traverse all kinds of human / family / social issues. There is something beautiful about the survival existence of the Dolpa in the grandeur of one of the most spectular places on earth. I would recommend thoroughly.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Story in an Authentic Himalayan Culture
Review: Himalaya: a movie for those who love stories which cross cultures and time told in the context of a culture which is basically untouched by current technology. It is a beautifully told story of determination and persistence in the context of family and tribal bonds. The people of a town in the Himalayas leave for their annually trek to a larger town to trade their salt. Their cavarn of a couple hundred yaks takes them through mountain passes and snow storms....real snow storms, not invented by movie producers and special effects artists. There are no professional actors. The film crew spent about 9 months filming on location in Nepal. The shots of the mountains are spectacular. Some may say it is a slow movie but why should it move faster...the people of the culture being filmed take life at a slower pace. The music is also very a propos for the setting. Great care was taken in the filming to remain true to the culture being filmed...including the language. The film is in Tibetan with English or French subtitles, depending on the version you see. It is a must see for anyone interested in cultures at risk of becoming extinct.
Rating:
Summary: I am Tinle! I conquer Mountains!
Review: I have a friend who lives in Nepal and has met the actor who plays "Tinle" the old man in the movie. He is exactly in life as he is in the movie! The "characters" of this film are mostly village people who went about their normal business while the film carried on. The dusty paths are real. The barren landscape is real. The movie is real.
Rating:
Summary: Caravan (Himalaya-l'enfance d'un chef)
Review: I have just seen this film on video (non-pirated) in Japan. I found the film physically spot on in depicting life in Tibet. I too have been fortunate to experience Tibet firsthand. You might find more than a smattering of baseball caps, sneakers, Michael Jordan T-shirts and, yes, Land Rovers up there these days, but in general, the magic still exists. Valli has beautifully represented this here. The bickering amongst the Tibetan characters is the only point I found out of place. Even when angry, Tibetans don't seem so demonstrative. Aside from that, and Kharma's atheism, I felt I was back up on the Tibetan Plateau watching this brilliant film.
Rating:
Summary: Himalayan Caravan
Review: I lived in Nepal for over two years and had the oportunity to visit Dolpa, the district where this movie takes place. I have to say, without reservation, that this movie is accurate in it's portrayal of the people and their struggles. I saw it for the first time in Kathmandu where it ran in the major movie theatre of the city for two months before being released internationally and I knew immediately that I wanted to own it. Watch it and be changed.
Rating:
Summary: Himalaya - Cinematic documentary
Review: I rented and immediately purchased the DVD. It is a movie, but it pays very close attention to the life of the Dolpo-pa, and as such, it not only presents a story, but captures a "culture in time" that few of us will ever experience. We may walk through these people's villages, or hire them to carry our gear, but we never can participate in their personal lives. Eric Valli, whatever his ulterior motives in creating this film (if any), had to have been driven by a love of the people and mountains to put this together. In an era of globalization and the loss of cultures and languages every year, films of this kind have great anthropological and human geographical value. It's too bad that more Eric Valli's don't exist to preserve our vanishing human heritage. When presented as a story, it can reach a much wider audience than a standard documentary; the story pulls the viewer into the lifestyle. In addition to the movie, I found Debra Kellner's "The Making of Himalaya" to be equally as interesting. It presents another side of these people as real people interacting with a director and film crew. There is also an "Electronic Press Kit" which contains interesting footage such as showing cameras strapped on yaks' backs, and the pushing the fiberglass yak down the cliff into the lake. The DVD appears to be a good transfer on my PC and DVD player and has a bonus soundtrack of commentary by Eric Valli and Debra Kellner. Excellent little film.
Rating:
Summary: Himalaya - Cinematic documentary
Review: I rented and immediately purchased the DVD. It is a movie, but it pays very close attention to the life of the Dolpo-pa, and as such, it not only presents a story, but captures a "culture in time" that few of us will ever experience. We may walk through these people's villages, or hire them to carry our gear, but we never can participate in their personal lives. Eric Valli, whatever his ulterior motives in creating this film (if any), had to have been driven by a love of the people and mountains to put this together. In an era of globalization and the loss of cultures and languages every year, films of this kind have great anthropological and human geographical value. It's too bad that more Eric Valli's don't exist to preserve our vanishing human heritage. When presented as a story, it can reach a much wider audience than a standard documentary; the story pulls the viewer into the lifestyle. In addition to the movie, I found Debra Kellner's "The Making of Himalaya" to be equally as interesting. It presents another side of these people as real people interacting with a director and film crew. There is also an "Electronic Press Kit" which contains interesting footage such as showing cameras strapped on yaks' backs, and the pushing the fiberglass yak down the cliff into the lake. The DVD appears to be a good transfer on my PC and DVD player and has a bonus soundtrack of commentary by Eric Valli and Debra Kellner. Excellent little film.
Rating:
Summary: Caravan ( Himalaya - l'enfance d'un chef)
Review: I saw the movie in Paris in a cinema. It is amazing. I was very, very impressed. In fact it is a kind of documentary. I am sure it was incredible difficult to make it in such high altitude circumstances. It gives you a really good picture of the way of life of the people living in Himalayas. I hope it will be soon available on video
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I saw this movie in a theater in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was a packed house and was one of the greatest experiences while I was there. The story has great visuals, and story line. I can tell from experiencing Tibetian and Nepali culture that this movie is a great representation of the family bond and lifestyle.
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