paul2001sw-1 'Himalaya' tells the story of Himalayan peasants undertaking a perilous trek in order to trade the goods they need to survive the winter. It could therefore have been a realistic film about the everyday hardship of life in this beautiful but hostile part of the world. Instead it combines this everyday setting with a banal, clichéd foreground plot involving love, and the succession of tribal leadership, which never exceeds the sophistication you'd expect in a fairy-story. It's hard to see what the French film-makers involved in this production were attempting to achieve: the result is neither action-packed nor truly authentic, leaving the viewer with little to do but admire the mountainous backdrop.

Terree McMichael I found this film to be both beautiful and captivating. The story was well conceived and the music was in harmony with the film. I thought that the director's use of the climate;the dust, the wind, the snow,added so much to the piece. He also took such care with the story. It is simple and direct like the country of its setting. I was so impressed at how the director captured the feeling of these people's lives. I came away with a deep appreciation for our human adaptability. My viewing was an experience I will not forget. I watched this movie twice in the space of a few days and found the second viewing even more breath taking. A real work of art!

George Parker "Himalaya" is about as exotic as films get. Using indigenous people in a remote and harsh corner of Nepal (Dolpa), an adventurous French director (Valli) created a film about a superstitious and aging tribal chief who leads a caravan of Yaks through hazardous Himalayan reaches to trade salt for the grain required to sustain his people. The film is interesting inasmuch as it uses native nonactors in an extremely remote region of great beauty which is seldom seen up close and personal. The result, however, is not great drama and the scenics, though beautiful, are less breathtaking than I had expected. In fact, I found the "The Making Of..." featurette on board the DVD more interesting than the film itself. Considering the low entertainment yield of this ambitious project, it would probably have worked better as a documentary or travelogue. Nonetheless, this exotic-for-the-sake-of-exotica film should be much appreciated by those into films about foreign cultures or with a special interest in the Nepali. (B)

ktynes This film captured me from the opening moments. Visually stunning because of the locale, still it is the characters that pull you in. Even if you do not normally watch foreign films, try this one. I promise you will be both entertained and carried away.