Project Detail

Children of the Snow Land

Synopsis

The story of a group of children born in the High Himalayas of Nepal - a remote area of great natural beauty but where life is extremely tough. From just four years old, some children are sent by their parents to the capital city, Kathmandu, to a school run by a Buddhist monk in the hope that education will give them a better chance in life. For ten years or more they do not see or speak to their parents, due to the remoteness of their villages.
Now, upon graduation, aged 16, the children are making the trek home: an arduous and lengthy journey across mountains that takes them to the highest inhabited place on the planet; a faraway, off-grid land where the way of life has not changed for thousands of years, and where their parents are waiting to see children brought up in a world of mobile phones, social media and most modern conveniences. And then the earthquake strikes.
This film documents the children and their families' scary, moving, funny and humbling stories.

Details

Year
2018
Type of project
Features
Running time
93 mins
Format
High Definition Video
Director
Zara Balfour, Marcus Stephenson 1st Feature
Producer
Zara Balfour, Marcus Stephenson
Executive Producer
Christopher Hird
Editor
Graham Taylor
Director of Photography
Marcus Stephenson, Mark Hakansson, Zara Balfour
Sound
Marcus Stephenson, Mark Hakansson, Zara Balfour
Composer
Chris Roe
Principal cast
Nima Gurung, Tsering Deki Lama, Jeewan Mahatara, Sangpo Lama
Associate Producer
James Fletcher
Diary Camera
Nima Gurung, Tsering Deki Lama, Jeewan Mahatara, Sangpo Lama, Tsewang Norbu Lama, Kunsang Tsamo Lama
Film Images
©Marcus Stephenson, Mark Hakansson

Categories

Production Status

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

A Distant Call A Distant Call

Director: Andrea Suwito

Year: 2026

In the ancient Bugis way of life in Indonesia, gender non-binary ‘bissu’ were once revered spiritual leaders. Eka, one of the last remaining bissu, decides to leave behind their identity, searching for belonging in a world that insists on definitions.

Solstice on Grímsey Island Nation

Director: Nikolai Galitzine

Year: 2026

When a church burns down in a storm, a remote arctic community come together to preserve their identity as they face an uncertain future.

A reality TV presenter speaks to the camera, looking directly into the lens. Tops

Director: Ames Pennington

Year: 2024

A fun pastiche of chaotic, brash, self-deprecating and clueless 1990s/2000s British reality TV, TOPS sees self-proclaimed future award-winning filmmaker Ames Pennington present their landmark faux-documentary. Casting themselves as an invasive TV presenter, Ames goes on a satirical odyssey through the lives and homes of four unique individuals, exploring the crucial question that defines the transmasc experience: “What TOP did you want to wear after TOP surgery?” Official Selection BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2024 - World premiere Official Selection Kashish Pride Film Festival 2024 - International premiere