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3 votes
Lost in time, the Himalayan Kingdom of Mustang is one of the last sanctuaries of authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture. But, long isolated by geography and politics, the people struggle to survive and the center of their culture, the fifteenth century monasteries and the art within are dangerously close to collapse. Mustang - Journey of Transformation, tells the compelling story of the efforts to rescue this ancient place from the brink of extinction and help spark a cultural renaissance. Storytellers include His Holiness the Dalai Lama; the King of Mustang; and Luigi Fieni, the chief art restorer.
Director
Writer
Status
Released
Original Language
EN
Budget
$205,000

"Behind every strong man is a strong woman!", Mumine shouts as her husband is arrested. She has 4 children, she's in her mid-30s, and she's the wife of a Crimean Tatar political prisoner. Muslim Crimean Tatars have been oppressed for a long time. They were deported under Stalin, allowed to return under Gorbachev, and since the occupation of Crimea in 2014 under Putin, they are being persecuted again. "Return" is a portrait of Mumine and Maye, two strong women struggling with the consequences of oppression. Their traditional understanding of their role as women does not stand in the way of their dedication. They possess strength, beauty and dignity. Only in their most intimate moments, they are overwhelmed by desperate helplessness.

A short, graphically dynamic work contrasting contradictory views of perception and interpretation, by way of society's assumptions vis-a-vis phallocentrism and fetishism.