Pilgrimage
Becoming a woman in Zanskar, film of Corillio. In a village in the Himalaya mountains a girl has 2 choices: getting married or becoming a non. An universal theme: do you become servile to your husband and his family or do you choose your own life. Going your own path, as a woman, is a pilgrimage, not only in Tibet, everywhere.
dated 2010 until 2010
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Pilgrimage 1
2010
Palkit refuses to marry a man she does not know, he might drink or beat her. She knows for sure:
"I made up my mind to leave and become a non."
Pilgrimage 2
2010The monks in the monestry are making a mandala with coulored sand. When it's finished after weeks of work, they destroy the drawing and put the sand in a vase. Then they carry the vase down the mountain in a procession. In the valley the sand is ritually thrown into the floating water, as a symbol of the eternal circle of life.
Pilgrimage 3
2010
Crying, Palkit says goodbye to her father:
"Don't cry, please don't cry. My daughter."
Pilgrimage 4
2010The pilgrimage to the monestry goes directly into the high mountains. The journey starts in the valley, on the vrozen river. That is dangerous. The ice is not of the same quality everywhere and you have to be very careful where to place your feet. One mistake and you will fall into the icecold water and die.
Pilgrimage 5
2010"When you are afraid, your fear will take you down."
Pilgrimage 6
2010The pilgrimage is a challenge and purification for the soul.
Pelgrimage 7
2010When the ice is melting and getting too thin, they have to leave the river. Palkit has to climb the steep, high mountains.
Pelgrimage 8
2010When climbing up the steep mountain, Palkit is crying out of fear. If she had known how hard it would be, she had not started this journey. She is afraid she won't make it till the end.
Pilgrimage 9
2010Arrival at Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives in exile. There are flags with prayers everywhere, blowing in the wind. They are left there untill they are totally vanished. So the wind spreads all the prayers through the air among the people.
Pelgrimage 10
2010
"While they shaved my head, I sad a prayer:
from today on I will be a non.
I will devote myself to the religion.
I will receive a good education
and I hoop everything will be well."