As little as ten years ago the large majority of the hill towns and villages in rural Nepal were accessible primarily by foot. It would commonly take a day of walking, often more, for the average Nepali living in these areas to reach a motorable road. This was life as usual, however difficult the circumstances.
Recently, however, this has begun to change dramatically.
Baato (working title) is a feature film project that explores the effects of road connectivity in eastern Nepal. As a new highway along the Arun River valley in eastern Nepal nears completion, once remote villages will be connected to the rest of Nepal for the first time, and a new trade route between China and Nepal (through Tibet) is closer to becoming a reality. The film follows the stories of individuals who are witness to the changes that this new road is bringing to the Sankhuwasabha District, a mountainous region in northeastern Nepal.
