Beyul
Synopsis:
In Tibetan mythology, Beyul are places protected by natural fortresses of rock, snow and ice, in remote areas. The documentary tells the story of life and daily resistance in the Zanskar Valley, under the Himalayas, one of the most remote valleys on the planet that in recent years has been hit hard by global warming. In a suspended daily life, marked by the voices of shamans and monks who evoke an invisible world made of water spirits and magical entities, the “Rgon mai” build, with traditional and modern techniques, an artificial glacier. Between the visible and invisible world, a fresco of a Beyul, and its inhabitants forced to build new cathedrals to survive.
Producer: Andrea Italia
Director: Francesco Clerici, Angelica Pastorelli
Country: Italy
Expected running: 70′
Screenplay: Francesco Clerici, Angelica Pastorelli
Editing: Francesco Clerici
Cinematography: Francesco Clerici, Angelica Pastorelli
Estimated budget: 100,000€
Financing in place: 20,000€
Missing resources: 80,000€
Looking for: Pre-purchase, Acquisition, Distribution, Sales Agent
Start of shooting: Done
End of shooting: December 2025
Director’s Notes:
A “fight” in extreme conditions but in total harmony: this is the lesson of Zanskar. The observational shots of daily life alternate with those of the construction of an artificial glacier: the focus is the water that resonates (even with the geophones) and acts as a primordial element that unites nature and mankind in a story punctuated by the voices (recorded by an anthropologist) which bring the story into a metaphorical dimension that evokes the spirits of water: invisible entities that watch over the balance of everything.
Production Notes:
Beyul is a feature-length documentary developed from two expeditions to Zanskar (Indian Himalayas) by Francesco Clerici and the anthropological research of Angelica Pastorella. The film weaves together artistic and ethnographic perspectives in a narrative that blends travel diary, climate warning, and poetic meditation. Footage by local filmmakers enriches a collective tale about landscape, memory, and symbolic space.
DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Angelica Pastorella, sinologist and anthropologist, has published for National Geographic Traveler and Storica. She is the founder of Water&Beyond, an ethnographic project on the water crisis in Ladakh, and works as both author and director. Beyul is her directorial debut.
Francesco Clerici is a documentary filmmaker and teaches at various European universities. He won the FIPRESCI Award at the Berlinale with Il Gesto delle Mani. His works have been selected and awarded at numerous international festivals and museums.
CV PRODUCTION
Nieminen Film has produced titles selected at Cannes, Venice, Clermont-Ferrand, and Taormina, including Magic Alps, Happy New Year, Jim, Inchei, Pinoquo, and Le Voci Sole. Currently in production: Il tempo della vita nuova by Costanza Quatriglio.
PRODUCTION Nieminen Film | PRODUCER Andrea Italia | CONTACTS andrea.italia@nieminenfilm.it