The ravishing glory of the Lake Dal region in Kashmir stands revealed in this delicate tale of two young boatmen who dream and scheme to head to Mumbai together. “A lyrical, tender film.” — Hollywood Reporter
Kashmir, almost in defiance of the danger that surrounds it, is a beautiful place, and Musa Syeed has captured that with remarkable patience and love.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2013
Valley of Saints 2012
The scenic glory of a setting few of us will ever visit stands revealed in this gentle tale. Two young boatmen ferrying passengers across Lake Dal in Kashmir dream and scheme of heading to Mumbai together. A young Western-educated woman researching pollution in the lake complicates their plans. Digital technology enabled Kashmiri filmmaker Musa Syeed to shoot in one of the world’s most chronically destabilised territories without drawing hostile attention. The result is a film that sings with the lyrical beauty of its setting while expressing a sharp sense of regret for opportunities stagnating in the face of incessant conflict. Street skirmishes are regarded with the same accustomed eye as Syeed applies to beads of rain on a water lily. “The beauty of its images… as well as its tender, elusive story of love and friendship, set against unsettling political unrest, kept me glued to my seat.” — Meredith Brody, Indiewire