Denmo – Himalayan Brown Bear
Akanksha Sood Singh / Short Documentary / Ladakhi / India / 38:58 / 2025
In the rarefied heights of the western Himalayas, an ancient creature that has featured in folklore and fever dreams for centuries, still prowls. The Brown Bear, or Ursus arctos isabellinus, was here before human settlements, villages, or electrified and militarized border fences arrived. Yet, today humans and the bears find themselves caught in an uneasy truce, a hostility over territory that doesn’t bode well for either species. Niazul Hassan Khan is a young wildlife scholar, a local who has known displacement from a troubled home too. He has returned to his community in Drass, Kargil to understand the Brown Bear, and broker peace between the animals and his people. As climate change hastens the glacial melt, and shortens winters, wreaking havoc on mountain communities, Niaz and his guide trek through the mountains searching for answers and a lasting possibility of survival for the land, its people, and the bear.
Crew & Cast:
Director: Akanksha Sood Singh
Writer: Akanksha Sood Singh, Zara Chaudhary, Vedant Sharma
Producer: Roshni Nadar Malhotra
DoP: Abhinandan Sharma
Sound Design: Damanjeet Singh
Music: Shubham Bhat
Executive Producer: Praveen Singh, Cdr. S.K. Sood
Editor: Christy Johnson, Kartick Negandhi
Director’s Bio
Akanksha Sood Singh
Akanksha Sood Singh is among India’s most prominent natural history filmmakers. She is the founding partner of one of the country’s leading independent natural history production companies – The Gaia People, and the founder of the Women of the Wild series in India, Pakistan and Malaysia.
Her career spans over 22 years and her work is known for its strong story telling of the natural world. Her films have illuminated the profound beauty and complexity of India ecosystems, while showcasing the urgent challenges they face due to climate change. Through her films, she has bridged the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding, bringing audiences up close to both the awe-inspiring and vulnerable aspects of nature. By capturing the impacts of a warming planet on wildlife, habitats, and biodiversity, her work serves to inspire action, foster empathy, and drive conversations about conservation and sustainability. Akanksha’s films have seen first broadcast on almost all major networks in the world.
With over 200+ awards and nominations, her work has won 6 National Film Awards by the President of India, a Wildscreen & Jackson Wild nomination and a UN Film Award. She is a communications consultant for the UNEP, Juror for the International Emmy®️ & RealScreen Awards, Member of the Jackson Wild Advisory Council, Independent Industry Advisor for the Bennet School of AI and an Independent POSH Committee Advisor for the Andaman Conservancy Foundation. She is one of the Jurors for the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Akanksha has been chosen as one of the 75 Women Leaders in India by UN Women and is featured in their book – Hum: When Women Lead.
