Drokpa

Yan Chun Su’s documentary spans several years in the lives of an extended family of nomads whose traditional occupation—raising yaks and sheep in the high plateau of eastern Tibet, sometimes called the "Roof of the World"—is endangered by environmental change and government pressure. Dhongya, chief herder of the clan, mourns the transformation of much of the once-lush grassland into desert since rainfall has decreased, while new laws restrict the family to a relatively small pasture, making their migratory lifestyle impossible. Following the family as they set up their tents for the season, Su concentrates not merely on the men who oversee the animals, but also the children who play in the fields, and the women who must constantly tend to the housework—including Yithan, who worries about the future of her two sons; Magyuk, whose sons have departed for work elsewhere and whose daughter Asu yearns to abandon the nomadic life; and Tamku, a divorced teenager with a child. Drokpa presents an informative and affecting portrait of a tribe whose way of life is being rendered untenable by forces that they barely understand and cannot resist. At the same time, it also underscores an ecological problem with wider ramifications since the plateau where nomads have labored for centuries also serves as the source of water that fills many of Asia’s rivers. Presented in both the full-length version and a 57-minute abridgement, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)