Baato
A remote valley in the Himalayas is to be changed forever with the construction of a new highway to China.
The central focus of this documentary, the title of which translates as ‘The Way’ or ‘The Road’, is placed on Mikma Bhutik Bhotia and members of her family who live in a village in the valley of Nepal’s Arun river. There is no commentary but on-screen written statements explain how the village’s economy is dependent on the sale of plants for medicinal purposes. Having collected them each July and August, it is in the following month that the Bhotias are just one family amongst others who annually undertake a journey that is known as the kavela. Laden with their produce, the villagers set out for an urban market some 300 kilometres away. Currently this is done largely on foot and takes up to seven days. However, plans are in hand to extend an existing section of road quite substantially. This project will eventually transform the lives of these people by putting their village on the map. But, given that the competence of those working on the new road is open to question and that many villagers even question if the work will be carried through in their lifetimes, it may be a very long time before this happens. Meanwhile, however, many of these people will in the short term find themselves losing their homes because they stand in the way of the route as outlined.
Very early on it is announced that Mikma and her family are leaving at once on the kavela and from this point onwards the film follows their journey to the market from “Day One” to “Final Day” which is indeed the seventh. Lucas Millard and Kate Stryker are the directors here but also the photographers and they take full advantage of the fact that the location is a gift in that respect. There is no doubting that the film scores highly in rendering vivid the lives that these people lead. Indeed, that aspect is the film’s strongest selling point. But, even so, the Himalayas have provided the setting for a number of films which have also achieved that and more besides.
In two distinct ways, Baato is less effective than one would hope. The first of these stems from its construction. Understandably the family’s journey is made central and the labelling of each day emphasises that, but in consequence the film comes to feel too piecemeal when it cuts away from them to incorporate footage set elsewhere. This includes scenes of the workers preparing land for the new road as well as episodes featuring the problematic bus service in other parts of the region. This material gives us something of the wider picture yet its insertion into the footage of the kavela feels haphazard and is decidedly clumsy. The other element that disappoints is all the more obvious if one has seen that superb documentary Children of the Snow Land (2018) which was centred on endeavours to assist in the education of youngsters from remote Himalayan villages. That film was able to show the children themselves in a way that made the viewer feel that they were really getting to know them. When one sees Baato it is absolutely clear that the filmmakers are deeply concerned for the villagers and are viewing them with respect and sympathy, but there is no sense of family members emerging as individuals – and that even applies to Mikma herself even if her face is the one that stands out.
These limitations prevent Baato from being in the top flight of documentaries. Nevertheless, in addition to being wholly well-intentioned, it does succeed in capturing life in Nepal in a way that will make viewers identify with the Bhotia family and with their situation – and for many that will make it easy to find the film’s shortcomings insignificant.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Featuring Mikma Bhutik Bhotia, Jeba Bhotia, Jyabu Bhotia, Kinsang Bhotia, Pasang Lenduk Bhotia, Shijek Bhotia, Sumjok Bhotia, Dawa Nawa, Phurpu Nawa, Temba Nawa, Tenchebi Nawa, Nima Chedar Sherpa, Saki Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, Wujen Sherpa.
Dir Lucas Millard and Kate Stryker, Pro Lucas Millard, Ph Lucas Millard and Kate Stryker, Ed Eric Daniel Metzgar, Music Craig Chin.
Bottomless Well Films-Tull Stories.
82 mins. USA. 2023. UK Rel: 28 July 2023. Cert. 12A.
