Spitituality and Himalayas

Belonging to a culture where remembering the deceased is dealt with in a somber mien, a festival like the Dia de la Muertos presents an opportunity to be part of a tradition whose roots are quite different from ours. Many decades ago when western scholars looked towards India and studied the ancient Sanskrit texts, little did anyone realize what role it would play eventually in the rediscovery of a language that was on the road to becoming desolate. Shall it not be an interesting platform then, where western traditions are observed through the eyes of the east?

'A Day On The River' captures the fluvial experience of rafting down one of the most enigmatic and dynamic whitewater - the Siang river, that flows through a remote valley in the Himalayan foothills of northeast India. The making of our film has been a first time effort in many ways - whether it be the editing of footage of a fortnight long expedition, or the impromptu presentation of one who never faced a camera before, or working as a team on documenting this river experience.

Hailing from different backgrounds - a passionate photographer and a scuba diving instructor - we shared a great rapport during the filming process and hope to work together in the future creating travel documentaries of lesser explored and remote places in India. The mentoring provided during this scholarship would help us learn to channelize our resources and employ our creative strengths towards making fine quality documentary films.