Tibetan Monks' Tour: The Documentary "The Road"

At an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, the upper Lungnak Valley—one of the most isolated valleys in this landlocked region—is undergoing major changes: under the auspices of the Indian Army, which aims to gain faster access to the Pakistani border, a major road—the “Zanskar Highway”—is currently under construction there. Marianne Chaud follows former farmers—men and women whose self-sufficient daily lives she had previously filmed—who have joined the exploited workforce at the construction site, hauling stones all day long for a meager wage. As a witness to the ongoing upheaval, Marianne Chaud captures with equal parts tenderness and subtlety this pivotal moment when the isolation of yesteryear is already a thing of the past, but the valley is only just beginning to open up, while the road gradually encroaches on its breathtaking landscapes.