Film · Documentary

Trembling Mountain

On April 25, 2015, Nepal was hit by a devastating earthquake in which 9,000 people lost their lives. At 7.8 on the Richter scale, the quake caused an avalanche of snow, ice and debris that swept away entire villages. One of them was the village of Langtang in the magnificent Langtang Valley, a popular trekking destination surrounded by the majestic Himalayas, where the avalanche killed 176 of the villagers and around 80 hikers. The Nepalese filmmaker Kesang Tseten Lama travels to the area days after the earthquake, going on to document the survivors’ efforts to rebuild their lives for a full year, long after the earthquake has faded from the news. After their initial dismay at the extent of the destruction, the villagers realize that reconstruction is way beyond their physical and financial capacities. As they try to obtain government subsidies or have debts written off, they hold a remembrance ceremony with the families of the tourists who died.