- Director: Dr. Huatse Gyal
- Country: USA
- Year: 2023
What happens when a sacred object, like the Khata, becomes ubiquitous? Today, the most common raw material for the Khata is a synthetic chemical fiber called polyester. Due to the widespread use of Khata in everyday common practices, discarded Khata can be found in rivers and lakes all across the larger Himalayan world. Many animals die from eating them, especially during the winter when grass become scarce. Fish and birds often get caught and die in the threads of the Khata. This ethnographic documentary film explores the paradoxical relationship between the meaning of Khata and its materiality, between purity and poison, with the aim of raising awareness of the unintended consequences of our good intentions.
Read a recent interview with director Huatse Gyal here.
This film will be available to stream until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
