No Comment on Winter Vacation – a harrowing portrait of women in Nepal’s frozen regions | Video

Men Dhorpatan valley in the west Nepalwinter arrives with unforgiving force. Clouds of cold mist slowly descend, giving the rocky landscape a dry, quiet atmosphere amid the rugged mountains. At this time of year, most people migrate south to the tropics – with two exceptions. Increasingly, Rajan Kathet and Sunir Pandey’s feature-length documentary focuses on Ratima and Kalima, elderly caretakers tasked with looking after an abandoned village. Widows of the same husband, they form an unknown but deceptive couple that alternates between warmth and disagreement.

The two women’s different personalities make for a striking contrast. A big, black Ratima spends his days in the fur of beer and regrets it. At present, little Kalima has the quality of the sun, which goes to great and small creatures; they have pet names. Once his second wife and lover, Kalima now tenderly cares for the ailing Ratima. Their daily activities – a simple meal on the fire, memories of their departed husband – are interspersed with a wide shot of the deserted area.

There is a palpable joy in the fascinating video, which observes Dhorpatan’s landscape in detail, from its frozen slumber to its springtime awakening. Although the scenes are beautiful, the focus of the place sometimes interferes with the deep exploration of the relationship between Ratima and Kalima; their communication is confusing, but still very limited. As a result, the film sometimes slips into naturalistic notes, without the heart beat it shows elsewhere.