
Becoming a Woman in Zanskar
In the Zanskar valley of the Indian Himalayas, two teenage best friends face rites of passage that will end their friendship. Tenzin is set to marry a man chosen by her family, in a tradition where the groom's side effectively takes the bride from her home. Palkit instead enters a Buddhist convent, her head shaved as she commits to life as a nun. The film follows both girls through the ceremonies, family conversations, and quiet moments that mark their separation, using observational footage of village life, prayer halls, and wedding rituals rather than staged interviews. It sits within a strand of the Free Documentary series looking at coming-of-age customs around the world, paired with a companion film on a Kayapó manhood ritual in the Amazon. The camera stays close to the two girls' faces as their paths diverge, letting the weight of an arranged marriage on one side and monastic vows on the other speak for itself.