Les saphirs du Cachemire documentaire de Patrick Voillot

English:    • The sapphires of Kashmir documentary of Pa...   Deutsch:    • Die Saphire aus der Region Kaschmir Dokume...   French:    • Les saphirs du Cachemire documentaire de P...   Italian:    • Gli zaffiri del Kashmir documentario di Pa...   Spanish:    • Los zafiros de Cachemira documental de Pat...   Chinese:    • 克什米尔的蓝宝石紀錄片Patrick Voillot   Russian:    • Сапфиры Кашемира документальный фильм о P...   Japanese:    • カシミールのサファイアのドキュメンタリーPatrick Voillot   Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. A simmering war and guerrilla incursions are a daily occurrence in this region, which has been under tension since the separation of India and Pakistan. It is also in these high mountains that the most beautiful sapphires in the world are found. They are a velvety blue, the beauty and softness of which are unparalleled in the world of gems. Since the split between the two countries, and before this expedition, no Westerner has visited this mine. This film will take you on an extraordinary expedition: 25 porters, 5 yaks, crossing the High Himalayas, and 150 kilometers on foot between 3,500 and 6,000 meters above sea level... extraordinary means that made it possible to reach this mine and, above all, to demonstrate that it was still producing sapphires. The expedition begins in the Zanskar Valley, which, after crossing the Umasi La Pass (5,900 meters) in the Himalayan range, will allow you to discover the verdant valley of Kashmir. After several days of walking, at the top of a mountain, the Padder mine looms at an altitude of 4,500 meters. Before reaching it, a police station made of a few stones piled on top of each other shelters a few men in a place called Sumchan. In the mine, three tents provide the bare necessities for the ten men who work at this dizzying altitude for a few months a year during the summer. The geologist in charge of this operation will take you deep into the mines, torch in hand, to show you the vein. You will understand how these exceptional stones are transported on foot, overcoming various dangers such as guerrilla warfare, bad weather, and other predators. Immersed in the Buddhist traditions of these regions, you will witness the consecration of a Buddha in the Karsha temple. Of course, the journey of these sapphires doesn't end there. It's in Delhi that we meet jewelers and lapidaries who cut and mount them in jewelry. Then this film will take you into the world of the Maharajahs of Jaipur and Kashmir, and especially to their jewelers, who today own the most exceptional stones and jewels, notably at the Gem Palace, owned by Sanjay Kaslival.