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Singali la in the Himalaya


 

Singalila in the Himalaya is the story of a young Keratoconus patient finding his way  in life to trek through the Himalayas. He finds that, the best medicine for his eyes are the sights of the beautiful mountains and valleys in the Himalayas.

■ 2017 International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) 2017
■ 2017 Special Recognition Girimitra Sammelan 2017
■ 2016 Dec 23 Pokhara International Mountain Film Festival, Pokhara, Nepal.
■ 2017 Feb 12,  Special Recognition Award,  IMF Mountain Film Festival 2017, Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi, India
■ 2018 April 1, Official Selection, International Tourism Film Festival, Riga, Croatia
■ 2018 Kadakam Forest and Environmental; Film Festival, Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, Kerala
■ 2019 CMS Vatavaran Film Festival, New Delhi

 

Language  : English

Running Length: 19:00
Year : 2016
Video : 1080p
Audio : Stereo


 

THE INSPIRATION


George was affected by Keratoconus, a rare eye disorder which decreases the thickness of cornea during his childhood. Keratoconus results severe distortion in vision and cannot be controlled by glasses.

During his teenage years, he lost all his hopes about life, when keratoconus took him away from what he wanted to do in his life. 

George finds that the best medicine for his eyes are to show them the most beautiful places on our planet. He decides to trek up the Himalayas and find solace and tranquility in his life. 

THE STORY


With fifteen porters, two guides and a cook, the team of three: George, Alexa and Blanchet starts their trek from Yuksam, a small town in West Sikkim.

The team head north to Goecha La Pass to see  golden views of Mount Khangchenjunga and, then head west to the border of Nepal or the Singalila Ridge.

They trek south along the Singali La ridge, the border of India and Nepal to see Mount Everest and Mount Khangchenjunga shining in golden color. 

On the 13th day of their expedition, they reach a remote village at the border of India and Nepal, inhibited by a nomadic yak herder.

THE ROUTE


     

 

FEATURED IN


 
   


KERATOCONUS
GROUP

S

M

   

PARTNERS


 

DHANRAJ GURUNG

RED PANDA

 Red Panda is an Adventure company, by Mr Dhanraj Gurung, specializing in offering trekking holidays in Sikkim, India.

SANDESH KADUR

Felis Creations is a Bangalore, Karnataka-based film production company founded in 2006 by Sandesh Kadur. It produces factual programs for international broadcast. 

JO KELLY 

Cafe Mantra Music by Jo Kelly is soothing blend of gentle chanting and flowing melodies drifting over chilled beats and Indian instruments, inspired by love and created for peace.



"To see the greatness of a mountain, one must keep one's distance;
To understand its form, one must move around it;
To experience its moods, one must see it at sunrise and sunset, At noon and at midnight, in sun and in rain, In snow and in storm, in summer and in winter And in all the other season.

He who can see the mountain like this comes near to the life of the mountain."

--Lama Anagarika Govinda

 

 

"You have captured and narrated the beauty of the mountains very well. The story of the men who guard the mountain is really interesting. Great info."

Isabel Elle, Singapore


 

"I am sorry to read about the condition you suffer from, but equally Inspired by your positive attitude and the way you have chosen to contend with your challenges. Kudos!"

Madhu Shetty, Travel Writer



 

"Its a fantastic video. Congrats on the film."

Lakshmi Sharath, Travel Blogger

THE TREK ROUTE


During their trek, the team follow the path of three early explorers.

A major part of the trek uses the trail used by Douglass Freshfield in the reverse direction. He was a British Mountaineer and during the year 1903, he encircled Mount Khangchenjunga.

On the day seven, the team reached Khangla Pass, where Douglass crossed to India from Nepal. He followed the route to Dzongri: via the Sherpas Pass and followed the Goecha La trail and crossed the Goecha La pass to reach north Sikkim and then to Darjeeling.


Singalila ridge, which is the border between India and Nepal is one of the high ridges across the Himalayas. The ridge runs all the way south from Mount Khangchenjunga across the Himalayas to reach the plains of West Bengal in India.

The first explorer to study about this ridge was Joseph Dalton Hooker was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. He was a founder of Geographical Botany.

AWARDS


■ 2017 NOMINATED International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) 2017

■ 2017 Special Recognition Girimitra Sammelan 2017

■ 2016 Dec 23 Pokhara International Mountain Film Festival, Pokhara, Nepal.

■ 2017 Feb 12,  Special Recognition Award,  IMF Mountain Film Festival 2017, Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi, India

■ 2018 April 1, Official Selection, International Tourism Film Festival, Riga, Croatia 

■ 2018 Kadakam Forest and Environmental; Film Festival, Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, Kerala

AT THE IMF FILM FESTIVAL

     

TEAM


       

GEORGE THENGUMMOOTTIL
CAMERA / SOUND / EDITOR

DHANRAJ GURUNG
EXPEDITION ORGANIZER

SURYA GIRISH
AS GEORGE THENGUMMOOTTIL

BIRKHA LIMBOO
CAMERA ASSISTANT

       

TULA RAM GURUNG
LOCATION MANAGER

MALAIKA VAZ
RESEARCH / SCRIPT EDITOR

AMAN JOHN
SONG WRITER

ADITHI SIVARAMAN
SINGER


A film by
GEORGE THENGUMMOOTTIL
KERATOCONUS FOUNDATION INDIA

Produced by
DHANRAJ GURUNG
RED PANDA TOURS & TRAVELS

Cast
SURYA GIRISH
AS GEORGE THENGUMMOOTTIL

Stock footage
KANUPRIYA RANIWALA
RAMSHAJ WAYANAD

Camera Assistant
BIRKHA LIMBOO

Location Manager
TULA RAM GURUNG

Location Assistant
NAMSANG LIMBU

Logistics
ATM RAI
BHIM HANG LIMBOO
DHAN RAJ RAI
MANGAL SING LIMBOO
NAMSANG LIMBU  
PASSANG LEPCHA
PEMA SHERPA
UGEN KARTHOK

Trekking Team
ALEXA HONE BLANCHET
BLANCHET RICHARD
GEORGE THENGUMMOOTTIL

Film Editor
GEORGE THENGUMMOOTTIL

Engineering
DR. THOMAS THENGUMMOOTTIL

Songs
1. SINGALILA IN THE HIMALAYA
AMAN JOHN / ADITI SIVARAMAN

2. HIMALAYA
JO KELLY/ Cafe Mantra Music

Music
1. Om Mani Padme Hum
2. SAD DAY
BENJAMIN TISSOT / bensound.com
3. BETTER DAYS
BENJAMIN TISSOT / bensound.com
4.  HIMALAYA
EDOARDO ROMANI CAPELO
5. KEEP IT SIMPLE
9loops

Special Thanks to
BINOY VALSAN
MALAIKA VAZ

Thanks to
DHEERAJ AITHAL
DOMINIC XAVIER
GIRI SHANKAR
NISHITHA IYANAHALLY
NOBLE MATHEW
PHUB NAMGAY
SIDDHARTH REDDY
SOORAJ PUTHIYEDAM
VISHAL SUVARNA
VYDHEHI KADUR


DR. J. BHUNIA
KINZONG BHUTIA
PRIYA SINGH
ADARSH NC
SANDESH KADUR

FELIS CREATIONS PVT LTD
KHANGCHENDZONGA CONSERVATION COMMITTEE (KCC)
THE HIMALAYAN CLUB
FORESTS, ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE  -
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, SIKKIM
KANGCHENDZONGA NATIONAL PARK

SINGALILA NATIONAL PARK
VARSEY RHODODENTRON SANCTUARY
MINISTRY OF FOREST  AND SOIL CONSERVATION, NEPAL
KANGCHENDZONGA CONSERVATION AREA
INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT,
WAYANAD, KERALA
VAGAMON HEIGHTS, KERALA

TEAM AT GOECHA LA / PHOTO: ALEXA


SURYA WITH THE SINGALILA MUG


 

FURTHER READING


 

ROUND KHANGCHENJUNGA
A Narrative of Mountain Travel and Exploration

1903 by Douglas William Freshfield

HIMALAYAN JOURNALS
Notes of a Naturalist

1855 by Joseph Dalton Hooker

       

 

HIMALAYA by JO KELLY


 

Morning dawns Im in her arms
river roars the mountains calm
I travelled far when I heard the calling

 Humble prayer that we be healed
and the path to be revealed
a path to climb for higher truth

 Himalaya, Himalaya is calling
and the river, and the river is roaring
from the source to the seeker

 

Himalaya Himalaya

I feel alive in wilderness
natures breath is nourishment
she fills my cup with freedom
As I leave the rivers side
my journey climbs to mountains high

I see a wider vision
Himalaya, Himalaya is calling
and the river, and the river is roaring
from the source to the seeker

 

The moon shines brighter
my visions wider
and I climb higher, for higher truth

She hands a gift to those who seek
in solitude no need to speak
walk the earth to hear the teacher

Himalaya, Himalaya is calling
and the river, and the river is roaring
from the source to the seeker

Himalaya Himalaya

     
CLICK TO ENLARGE : Lampokhari Lake CLICK TO ENLARGE : CLICK TO ENLARGE : CLICK TO ENLARGE : Shri San Man Subba, Chowkidar at Thangsing CLICK TO ENLARGE : CLICK TO ENLARGE : CLICK TO ENLARGE :

LAMPOKHARI LAKE



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