Singalila In the Himalaya
| Singalila In the Himalaya | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | George Thengummoottil |
| Written by | Malaika Vaz |
| Starring |
|
Release dates | 2016 |
Running time | 17 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
Singalila in the Himalaya is the story of a young Keratoconus patient finding his way in life to trek through the Himalayas. He finds that, the best medicine for his eyes are the sights of the beautiful mountains and valleys in the Himalayas.The film is a Journey through the Himalayas, covering the 14 day long Singali la Trek in Sikkim, overlooking the views of Mount Kangchenjunga and Mount Everest from many directions, on the 13th day, the team reach a remote village at the border of India and Nepal, inhibited by a nomadic yak herder who lives alone for six months.[1]
Plot
George Thengummoottil, who became blind during his childhood with Keratoconus travels through the Himalayas to find solace and peace in his life. After his two week long expedition he finds that, the best medicine for his eyes is to show them the most beautiful places on this planet.[2] At present he has done Corneal transplantation which could rectify the sight of one of his eyes.
Trek Route
During their trek, the team follow the path of three early explorers. A major part of the trek uses the trail used by Douglas William Freshfield in the reverse direction. He was a British Mountaineer and during the year 1903, he encircled Mount Kangchenjunga. On the day seven, the team reached Khangla Pass, where Douglass crossed to India from Nepal. He followed the route to Dzongri: via the Sherpa's Pass and followed the Goecha La trail and crossed the Goecha La pass to reach north Sikkim and then to Darjeeling.
Singalila Ridge, the border between India and Nepal is one of the high ridges across the Himalayas. The ridge runs all the way south from Mount Kangchenjunga across the Himalayas to reach the plains of West Bengal in India. The first explorer to study about this ridge was Joseph Dalton Hooker was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. He was a founder of Geographical Botany.
Filming
Most of the film was shot at the remote mountains of Sikkim and Nepal inside three national parks Khangchendzonga National Park, Singalila National Park and Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary. More than 15 potters were hired to carry the equipment and food during the expedition.
Technique
As filming was done in remote locations in the Himalayas, Solar panels were used to power and run the camera equipment.[3] They used a custom home made solar charger.[4]
Track list
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Singali la in the Himalaya" | Aman John | Adithi Sivaraman | 1:05 |
| 2. | "Himalaya" | Jo Kelly | Jo Kelly | 10:27 |
Further reading
- Round Kangchenjunga - A Narrative of Mountain Travel and Exploration(1903) Douglas William Freshfield
- Himalayan Journals - Notes of a Naturalist(1855) Joseph Dalton Hooker
External links
References
- ↑ "Singali La: In the Himalaya (2016)".
- ↑ "Singalila in the Himalaya - Travel Documentary - George Thengummoottil - Personal Portfolio".
- ↑ "Video Production Gear List: Singalila in the Himalaya Documentary".
- ↑ http://nofilmschool.com/2016/11/how-to-build-cheap-solar-camera-charger-for-adventure-filmmaking