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Kekexili, filmed along Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau, takes your mind out of the box

 

If your schedule permits this Thanksgiving weekend, reserve some time to rent and watch Kekexili.

It really can help take your mind out of the box. It’s based on a true story from the 1990s about frontier life high along the Tibetan-Qinghai plateau.

The film, directed by Lu Chuan, looks at a group of men who pursue animal poachers - the animal in this case is the chiru, which is the Tibetan antelope.

The animal’s skin is used to make the illegal shahtoosh scarves and the number of antelopes has alarmed conservationists.

National Geographic helped bring the movie, which is formally called Mountain Patrol: Kekexili, to the United States and noted that the region, has become China’s largest animal reserve.

The sweeping shots of mountain ranges, the realization of Mother Nature’s awesome powers and watching the men help one another and pursue poachers can give quick meaning to anyone’s life.

The Tibetan antelope is part of the movie.

In fact, three years ago, The New York Times gave an estimate of only 50,000 of them left. In February, the Chinese officials said that number was up to 150,000.

When I watched the movie, the mountains shooting toward the sky, the rugged beauty and the band of anti-poachers caught my attention.

I’ve traveled in Tibetan areas of Yunnan and Qinghai provinces. So, those images brought back memories.

But I’ve never traveled the areas where these anti-poachers pursued hunters of the antelope.

Interestingly enough, some users of YouTube have debated which film trailer is better – the one shown in the United Kingdom, which is above, or the one that U.S. audiences saw.

It’s a minor note but I agree with one online commentator that the U.S. trailer relied too much on cliches. But the video footage use in the trailer, which is a bit longer than the British one, is better.

I don’t think either trailer really gives the best glimpse of the movie. It’s best to see the film yourself.

Please note that there is some violence in Kekexili.

If you’re inclined, read the reviews from The New York Times and Los Angeles Times before you watch the movie, which arrived in the United States in 2006.

Certainly, if you have time and the resources, take precautions and visit the area.

As I was searching around for information about Kekexili, I came across The Land of Snows and the blog associated with it.

The travel author says he’s from the Pacific Northwest and has lived on the Tibetan Plateau for seven years. Take a look – his images and insight are great.

Update: If you haven’t seen it, The New York Times has a photo essay of the highest highway in India – named the Leh-Manali.