Director Marianne Chaud has won 58th TrentoFilmfestival

On her TrentoFilmfestival debut last year, young French director Marianne Chaud won the Italian Alpine Club’s Gold Gentian. This year, her second entry, Himalaya, le chemin du ciel, has won the top prize of all: the 58th Gran Premio “Città di Trento” - Gold Gentian for Best Film

The international jury at the 58th TrentoFilmfestival, which was chaired by Maurizio Zaccaro, and also included Alan Formanek (Slovakia), René Vernadet (France) and Michele Radici (Italy), was unanimous in its verdict to award the top prize to Marianne Chaud. The verdict reads “Through […] bright, innocent eyes, we enter the fascinating world of the monks from Phukthal monastery with its spirituality, habits and daily life. The film was shot with great insight by the director, who is an expert on the local culture; she films these scenes with a hidden film-camera and it is clear that she puts her heart into every one”.

This film is the touching story of the young Buddhist monks of Zanskar in India told through the eyes of Kenrap, an eight-year-old boy who was recognised as the reincarnation of an old monk when he was five. Through his bright, innocent eyes, we enter the fascinating world of the monks from Phukthal monastery with its spirituality, habits and daily life. The film was shot with great insight by the director, who is an expert on the local culture; she films these scenes with a hidden film-camera and it is clear that she puts her heart into every one