No Monastery No Village

Tashi Lhazom / Short Documentary / Nepal / English, Tibetian / 20:00 / 2024

Halji village, in far north-western Nepal is a living museum, housing the 11th-century Halji Rinchenling Buddhist Monastery, Unfortunately, the monastery lies just 6 kilometers below a dangerous glacier that has already discharged destructive glacial lake outburst floods or GLOFS. Despite the danger, Buddhist monk Sonam and female yak herder Pema have chosen to stay in Halji, along with 500 other community residents. They cannot imagine abandoning this ancient cultural treasure to its fate and believe correct religious observance will save the monastery. But glaciologists from the international research consortium ICIMOD have warned Halji that time is running out. The monastery’s religious leaders call a community meeting to decide what can be done.

Cast & Crew:

  • Director: Tashi Lhazom
  • Producer: Shanta Nepali, Nimesh Puri
  • Script: Andej Adhikari, Andrew Tkach
  • Researcher / Writer: Tashi Lhazom Andej Adhikari
  • Cinematographer: Amar Maharjan
  • Background Score: Bishwo Shahi
  • Editor & Colorist
  • Sanjeev Ratna Shakya
  • Sound designer & Mixer
  • Dikesh Khadgi Shahi
  • Executive Producer: Andrew Tkach
  • Cast: Sonam Dhondrup, Pema Dolma, Miriam Jackson

Director’s Bio

Tashi Lhazom hails from Limi Valley in northwestern Nepal. She is a climate justice activist, indigenous storyteller, and independent filmmaker whose work focuses on identity politics, climate change and grassroots empowerment. She is also a co-founder of Limi Unity Cooperative Society which promotes community-based eco-friendly tourism. As a youth leader, Tashi aims to harness the power of young minds to promote generational change.