One common theme of both nonfiction and fiction films is the journey. Characters often go on literal journeys to some mythic destination, or it is sometimes more metaphorical (journeys of awareness, journeys of self-discovery, etc.) The film Baato takes this idea to its literal form and makes for a beautiful, if sometimes overlong, experience.
Translated from Nepali to The Way, the film documents the experience of the Bhotia family. They must walk over 185 miles from their remote village to markets in order to sell their medicinal plants. One unique aspect of the film deals with scope. Filmmakers Kate Stryker and Lucas Millard focus on the minute details of the trip, instead of the grand scale of the trip itself. Getting stuck on a bridge, cooking meals after a long hike, and securing permits to sell their items all pepper the story.
You get an intimate portrait of the Bhotia clan because of this decision. One particularly harrowing scene (and one where viewers may question why the filmmakers didn’t intervene) is when a cow gets its horns stuck on a bridge, jeopardizing the safety of everyone trying to get across. Everything takes on a greater significance, as you get to know the members of the family trying to support themselves financially.
The landscape is one of the film’s MVPs, as you see the family amidst long stretches of uneven rock, huge mountains, and dilapidated rocks and bridges. There’s also a dash of politics, as you find out along the way a road that would make the trip easier is being constructed. However, due to political maneuvering, it is taking significantly longer than expected to complete. The pacing is a bit uneven (the film’s middle drags a bit), but if you stick with it, Baato delivers. The eye-opening documentary would work well for those studying South Asian culture, and also for students of geography and environmental law.