Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

GULMARG – PARADISE ON EARTH, 14min, Australia
Directed by Cassie De Colling

A portrait of a small once wartorn mountain village that has been discovered as a new frontier for western ski tourism. The film explores the past and the future that Gulmarg is undergoing.

Review by Kierston Drier:

 A once war torn area in the now ungoverned mountain range between India and Pakistan, Gulmarg sits, nestled in snow. This film, coming to use from Australia via director Cassie De Colling, follows the inhabitants of the simple town and their largest tourist attraction- Winter Sports.

Gulmarg- Paradise On Earth boasts stunning footage, gorgeous cinematography and beautiful landscapes. But it also tells a story of cultural clash. The primary tourists- Globetrotters from all over flooding into the small village- bring stability and steady income into the area. Yet the also bring ways of life that are not shared by the locals.

Drinking, intoxicated partying and imbibing in certain foods do not mesh well with the religious inhabitants. While the tourists are welcomed, and even encouraged to do the things that make them happy, (and promote the local economy) of Gulmarg, it is not without tensions.

A film about cultural change in the wake of holiday fun, Gulmarg- Paradise On Earth reminds us to take a deeper look at the land we tread on and the neighbours we share. All while showing us the gorgeous topography of the staggeringly beautiful world we live in.

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