Let's sit down.
Tinle said we would stop by that mountain.
which mountain?
Can you see the shadow on the left side? There by that mountain ridge.
Next to that ravine?
No, next to that brown mountain.
The one in the sunlight?
What sun? - What mountain? They're all the same.
You're tired. Lean on me.
I'm younger than you are.
My Yak is getting old.
We've been walking for eight days now.
Eight days?
It's already been ten days since we left.
What's he hoping for?
We'll never gain on Kharma.
He's crazy.
We'll die in here if we're not careful.
We have to end this. - You tell him.
Me? You're his best friend?
What is that?
A tree.
Will we be seeing trees on our way?
An entire forest.
Have you ever seen a tree?
No.
So how can you draw them? - My teacher taught me.
how large is a tree?
When you're on top you can see far , like on a mountain.
Like a leader. - What do you mean?
Like grandfather.
He can see far.
I'm exhausted.
Wanneer zijn we er?
I'm so tired.
Grandfather.
I'm so tired.
We walk and walk and walk but we'll never get there in time.
We'll never catch up with Karma.
Be a sensible man. The boy is exhausted.
If we die it'll be your fault.
We've always helped each other. We must succeed.
Succeed? At what?
We have no other choice.
Grandfather.
Behind that mountain once leopards got two of my Yaks.
Ngeunpo's Yaks.
The screaming scares away the leopards. - Not just the leopards.
The caravan. It's Karma and the others.
That's not the caravan. It's the pilgrims.
What are they?
Religious people that walk through mountains.
Where are you from? - Mount Kailash.
How far is Shey Riwo Dupta? - Less than ten days from here.
Where are you going? - To the wheatlands.
Have you seen the caravan? - Yes, and its two hundred Yaks.
When?
About three, four.. No five days ago.
Can't be more than three days ago.
They were young and walking at a fast pace.
I thought we could make it.
We can't gain on them. Karma knows the mountains well.
We'll never make it.
Tinle is too stubborn. But the mountains have been kind.
In one week we could be home safely again.
The mountains are our home. We live for the Yaks and the salt.
It's insane to try and gain on Karma.
You would be able to finish your fresco. - That can wait.
Show me your hands.
Why did you come with us?
When you left the monastery...
I remembered the words of one of my teachers.
'If you have to choose which way to go, take the most difficult way.'
The most difficult way...
The hardest way.
The hardest way?
Some more tea? Haven't you had enough yet?
Labrang, don't tell me you didn't bring any beer.
You've forbidden me to bring beer. - And you listened to that?
Too bad, we have to drink Karma's then.
We will take the lake route tomorrow.
For god's sake, Tinle.
The devil's path?
I walked the path long ago once and I'm still here.
Do evil spirits live there? - If we make it...
We will be ahead of them by the time we. reach the pass -You go. I'm leaving
You just go. And keep your frontdoor locked tightly.
Tinle, you're asking too much of us.
What do you want to eat this winter?
Salt?
I'm going to get our wheat. We have no other choice.
We will be facing evil spirits.
In the flesh.
Enough praying. We're leaving.
Hold the Yaks. - What's wrong?
Part of the path fell down. - Stop.
We can't pass here.
What are you doing? - The Yaks can't turn around and go back.
We must go through.
Give me that stone.
Not that one. A smaller one.
Where are you going? You're going to fall!
I want to help grandfather.
Be careful. - Of course I will.
You can't pass. Stay there.
Stop them.
Will this be strong enough?
Are you asking me?
Try it.
Come, Ngeunpo.
If you can make it all Yaks will.
The path is safe now.
Tundrup built it.
Just like your fence.
Get the Yaks coming one by one.
Oh God.
Careful. There is just enough room.
Step by step. Give me your hand.
We've made it.
One Yak and two bags of salt. It is the price the spirits asked.
Look, more pilgrims.
They have Yaks with them.
Are you serious? - It's a caravan.
It's pilgrims. - No, it's a caravan.
There is a Lama there. - It look like that's Ngeunpo.
It's Tinle Yaks.
It's Tinle.
And Pasang, Chopga en Norbou. They're all there.
Tinle is here.
Karma, Tinle is here.
We'll make camp there.
Welcome Tinle. Join us for a drink.
We'll stay here for two days. Let us take care of your Yaks.
They're already unloading them.
I didn't know you were this close behind us. I would've waited.
I haven't been following you. I left at the date we set.
Bu that's four days after we left.
Four days?
No one can be that fast.
It's impossible they left so late.
He's done the impossible.
Ling's prophesy. When there's good weather ahead the salt crackles.
When the weather's going to be bad it's as silent as the grave.
I don't hear anything.
The salt is silent. - Bad weather is coming.
We're leaving tomorrow. - It didn't crackle.
The salt didn't crackle.
Tinle...
we have been walking for two weeks straight.
Our men and our Yaks are exhausted.
We were going to rest for two days.
The grass is good here and the sky is blue.
The sky is playing games with us.
The salt didn't crackle.
We must cross the pass now.
We can't put our lives at stake for a handful of salt.
This salt has helped us for centuries.
Are you listening to him?
Salt can't talk.
It's nonsense.
You must take the Gods seriously.
If we survive this we have ourselves to thank for it.
Ourselves. Not the Gods.
Please understand.
You are a leader, but not his son.
Sometimes I wonder if Lhakpa... - He didn't want you to come.
I wanted to follow him.
I should have persisted.
Don't blame yourself for it.
Do you see that star?
If you look closely you'll see that it beats just like a heart.
It is this star you must learn to find.
There are so many stars.
Yes, but this one star... is your
This is the star that will lead us to the land of the wheat.
Our grand-grandfathers already followed this star.
Where is Pasang?
Have you seen Pasang? - No.
Are you coming with him?
Come with us. You won't survive the snow storm.
You will die here.
Where is that snow storm?
Have you seen the stars?
Tinle is wrong.
He know these mountains.
Come with us. Do it for me.
You have to choose now.
Either you come with Tinle or you're staying with me.
You're just like him. All you ever think of is yourself.
And what about you? When will you start thinking of yourself?
Karma.
Pasang.
Let him, father.
Stay out of this.
So should you.
Come with us. - I can't.
Come with us, everyone together.
Help him up.
We're taking the salt.
Tinle's going to get us all killed.
Aren't you cold?
Tinle, let's stop. We'll never make it across.
We can't even see where the path is.
We must face that storm. - Let's wait for it to pass.
There is enough food for four days. If we go back we'll all die.
I am Tinle. Master of the mountains. - Father...
Are you alright, father?
Don't listen to them. keep going, even though you're going only slowly.
Do not make camp before you reach the four Chorten.
Why?
Keep on walking. I'm going to see if anyone was left behind.
Grandfather.
Straight into the mountains, boy.
Have you seen my father? - No. I thought he was with you?
Father...
Tinle...
If we're not careful we'll get lost too.
We have to keep searching. He's got lost in the dark.
There.
Father...
He saw the storm in the clear blue sky.
I didn't see anything. I walked straight into the trap.
If you'd come with us you wouldn't have saved him.
Did I save him or did the mountains spare him?
You don't understand.
He will take everything from you.
You're the leader.
Don't think like that father.
I'm not a leader.
I'm a painter, a son who helped his father out.
And Pasang?
Pasang has made his decision. Everything will be alright.
Let them.
Are you going shooting? - Learn how to saddle your Yak.
Wear this or you will be blinded.
And you'll cry.
The boy is in good hands.
It's up to you now.
Don't forget...
a leader guides his people...
but receives his orders from the gods.
Don't you ever forget.
I dreamt that you were my father.
You're too much like me for me to be your father...
for you to be my son.
Do you think I've never wanted to defy the Lamas?
A true leader starts by being disobedient.
The Gods triumph.
What are you doing?
Put me down. I'm staying here.
We will look for herbs to cure you down in the valley.
You want to cure me?
I'm not ill. I'm old.
Leave him here. He belongs here, in these mountains.
Chopga's right.
It's what he wants.
Karma, you will have to be their leader.
Just go.
Take good care of Pasang.
You've gotten behind too much already because of me.
We're almost there.
I can't leave you behind when I've just found you.
We've always been connected.
We've always wanted the same.
Tinle, please don't die.
Let him go.
He's going to join my father in Padmasambhava's paradise.
I've learned so much.
From you, my father Tinle, my brother Lhakpa...
From you, my nephew Pasang of you, Pema...
and from you, Karma.
This fresco is for you. It's finished.
It tells a story.
The story of Pasang...
The youth of a leader.
The Gods triumph.