Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey (FILM REVIEW)
Pad Yatra:
A Green Odyssey
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Eco-Documentary
Laments Melting of Himalayan Glaciers
700 Buddhist monks and nuns decided
to embark on a 500-mile trek across the Himalayas
to bring attention to the ecological devastation being visited upon the region’s
glaciers by climate change. That perilous journey across treacherous terrain
and at altitudes as high as 17,000 feet is the subject of Pad Yatra: A Green
Odyssey, an Earth-friendly documentary marking the directorial debut of Wendy
J.N. Lee.
Ms. Lee, an Asian American, shot the
visually-captivating adventure with a solar-powered camera, and subsequently
enlisted actress Daryl Hannah to provide the picture’s voiceover. The ascetic
march was led by a guru named Ngawang Sodpa, whose devotees were quite
photogenic, outfitted in brightly-colored robes, as they negotiated narrow
paths through the mountains and valleys.
Along the way, the hardy band of
travelers deal with frigid temperatures, illness, injuries and starvation while
periodically stopping at villages to preach about preserving the planet. At one
port-of-call, they encounter an obnoxious German tourist intent on purchasing
some of a monastery’s ancient artifacts.
Wendy’s sister, Carrie, an attorney also
making the pilgrimage, informs the European interloper that the priceless spiritual
items aren’t for sale. But instead of taking “no” for an answer, the would-be
looter asks to speak to the white person in charge. When resolute Carrie insists
that the buck stops with her and reiterates her decision, the guy gets so incensed
that he starts hitting her with a stick.
Otherwise, the well-intentioned Pad
Tatra proves to be a peaceful walk effectively warning about global warming from
the top of the world.
Very Good
(3 stars)
Unrated
In English and
Tibetan with subtitles
Running time: 72 minutes
Distributor: Quad
Cinema
To see a trailer for Pad
Yatra, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_d6IJW_O9E
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