Filming The Unique Tradition of The Sky Burial Documentary
A thrilling and eye opening experience!
Sky Burial, ever heard of it? Chances are you have not because this practice of excarnation happens selectively in certain regions of Tibet and Nepal, which is why we jumped at the chance to film it when the opportunity came about. Kathmandu Flims is known for their daring, experimental storytelling and there was no doubt that we would not work on this project. Below is an account of what happens when covering just distinct pieces.
Warm Hospitality Beats Any Brutal Terrain
So, it began we packed our bags and headed to Upper Mustang, the stone walled region that whispers years of history. We knew going to remote areas and shooting for this story would be challenging and we were pretty spot on with our predictions. The challenges begun from day one has we trudged through the paths to Upper Mustang amidst unpredictable wind and chaotic road maintenance.
What got us through it?
Definitely the warm connection we have with the locals, our interpersonal skills have enabled us to connect with foreigners and locals alike making it easy for us to find those willing to help us. The freezing temperature at night felt a little warmer with some local hospitality.
Our practice of always staying prepared helped us too, not going to lie. The contingency plans are always in place when dealing with filming in remote areas of Nepal. Hence, the initial distress of getting on location permits in the border of Nepal and China quickly resolved due to the avid knowledge we have about them which were accompanied by great interpersonal rapport with the professionals.
Storytelling Inspires Us
We went above and beyond for clients, and it was worth every effort. Our interaction with the team was very friendly and encouraging one that strived us to perform better. We do not just limit ourselves to the task assigned but as a creative company we suggests way and ideas that could help in the process of storytelling as well.
The Resistance And Triumph
Talking about a lost tradition is not easy which is why many of the locals we interviewed were hesitant at first. However, as a filming company one of our main responsibilities is to become as investigative as possible. We used our skills in communication to tap into them, make them comfortable enough to talk about this unique traditions.
While the customers were hesitant, the equipments were another issues, giving in to the cold, lack of electricity and internet. This is when the creatives in our team used their own hacks, waking up early to power equipments and transport to fight the cold. Despite the resistance being able to finish the 5 days earlier to scheduled because of good coordination within the team and our hard.
For Filming Everything Is Worth It
KF films definitely got tested in this shoot, but we didn’t let the environment or the unique story overwhelms us, in fact it just made us more creative and tactful. The sky burials shoot was one of the most memorable shoots for us because of all that we learned and all the challenges that we faced, we never shy away from a challenged and this project tested us in every which way. Was it worth all that effort? Always. Quiet ironically the burials came to life with our filming and that is all we hope achieve with our work.