Nepal - Close to heaven

A film by André Hörmann | 2020 | arte | ZDF

A two-part documentary series

Nepal – A country between jungles and mountain deserts, tropical regions and ice cold mountain tops; one of the poorest countries on earth, yet fairytale-like; a mythical kingdom of gods and a spiritual paradise; a land of ancient cultures, many peoples and a moving history; a multi-religious country between tradition and modernity. The documentary will take us all across this Himalayan country with the highest mountains on earth, following the Mahendra Highway, the trade route from East to West.

The first part of “Nepal – Close to Heaven / from Ilam to Kathmandu”, begins in the East of the country; in the lower Himalayas, on the Indian border, in the beautiful hillsides of the tea plantations of Ilam. We then move on to the city of temples, Janakpir, and to Chitwan national park, home to rhinos, wild elephants and leopards. Then via Lukla, one of the world’s most dangerous airports, we go higher up into the Himalayas, the home of Sherpas and Yaks. We then reach the dream destination of countless adventurers from all over the world and Nepal’s most famous landmark: Mount Everest. Natural wonders, cultural and pilgrimage sites, pulsating bazaars, Buddhist and Hindu holy sites. The final destination is the fertile Kathmandu valley, home of the Newar, the native people of Nepal. This is where we find the three royal cities Bhaktapur, Patan and the quickly expanding capital city Kathmandu, with its countless temples.