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Three hour series includes excerpts from over fifty hours of original interviews, hundreds of never before seen photos, exotic film clips, and a lot of very cool stuff . . . all backed by a mind-blowing original soundtrack.

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Wednesday
Apr192017

Nepal...The Roads of Progress

 

Nepal, a kingdom of timeless and dramatic beauty, is also one of the poorest countries in the world, affected by pollution, the melting of glaciers due to global warming, and rampant globalization. Despite its problems, the fabled ‘Roof of the World’ remains magical, and the majestic Himalayas continue to captivate trekkers and tourists alike.

VIEW YOUTUBE TRAILER HERE

This documentary, produced and directed by Roger Charret, is neither a travelogue nor an environmental exposé, but a bit of both. In any case it is a beautifully crafted film that will transport the viewer to an extraordinary world caught between a desire to preserve the charming medieval isolation of its past and embrace the progress of its present.

THE VIDEO LIBRARIAN REVIEW

It all started with construction of the roads. The filmmakers have interviewed mountain guides, farmers, development officials, doctors, innkeepers, schoolteachers and tradespeople, and all offer contradictory opinions on the tangible benefits of their development, and the dangerous downside. In 1980, when our filmmakers first visited Nepal, no real roads existed.  At present, 12,000 kilometers have been built, often precariously, with profound effects on everyone from hillside farmers to mountain trekkers.  With the influx of ready-made foods, farmers fear for their livelihoods, and the trekkers complain that not only has the ‘Roof of the World’ lost its sublime isolation, but the crude paths they’d once hiked, past wandering sacred cows and plots of rice and millet and ginger have become traffic-choked roads reeking of black diesel smoke and careening trucks and buses. Doctors and teachers, on the other hand, welcome the access to healthcare and education.

This film was shot before and after the devastating earthquake of 2015, when 3,600 died and small villages built of simple stone and mud were leveled. Many villagers are still trying to recover, still waiting for the state to help them rebuild. Young people have left, looking for a better life, and have not returned. Many have gone to Kathmandu, the capital, where the population has exploded from a town of 250,000 to a teeming chaotic, polluted city of 1.5 million.

Though the Nepalese remain hopeful that these roads will usher them into the 21st century, they remain an endearing, deeply religious people (most are Hindu) who bestow Tika blessings of red powder and rice on the foreheads of all who visit, whose ancient temples and dynamic and colorful markets offer a window into the real Nepal, and to a people who would prefer living to the rhythm of nature.

And therein lies the paradox of ‘The Roof of the World.’  Go before it’s too late. This film is essential viewing for senior students of political science, sociology, geography, and urban/environmental studies, and trekkers from all walks of life.

LINK to DVD and File Download Purchase Options for NEPAL Here

 

Nepal is streaming on KANOPY

 https://www.kanopy.com/product/nepal-roads-progress

A Note About Our Academic and Institutional Pricing

Personal DVD or File Download: $24.50

Educational DVD with PPR: $150

Anytime you want to screen a film on campus, Public Performance Rights (PPR) needs to be obtained. Copyright law (USC 17§101) defines a public performance as occurring in a public space or if it is in any place if "a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its acquaintances" is gathered there. This would include classrooms, meeting rooms, auditoriums, dorm lounges, etc. However, copyright law (USC 17§110) also provides an exception for face-to-face teaching activities in a nonprofit educational institution.

Digital Site License with PPR: $200

A DSL grants educational institutions and/or non-profit organizations a limited license to host and stream a film online to students, faculty and staff on their password-protected server. This license is granted for three years. The key advantage of purchasing a DSL is that once uploaded, an unlimited number of viewers can access the film from multiple locations simultaneously.

DVD + DSL bundle PPR: $225

K-12, Non-profit, Public Library with PPR: $62.50

If your system is not Credit/Debit Card or PayPal “friendly”, we will accept your purchase order or send you an invoice payable by check or credit card. For details on purchase orders, please contact: nagle.patrick@gmail.com

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