Im Schatten des Karakorum (1955)

An animated introduction shows the geographical location of the Karakoram Range, which lies north of the Himalayan massif. The range is surrounded by various valleys, particularly Chalt, Hunza, Baltit, Gulmit and Passu, as well as the Batura Glacier. The camera then pans to the airfield at Gilgit, where the German-Austrian expedition arrives and is greeted by a bagpipe band. Since it is impossible to travel through this region by modern means of transport, the expedition has to make its way through the Hunza Gorge on foot or on horseback. The route follows Rafiqs—paths made by people along the mountains—and suspension bridges over the Hunza River, the longest of which is 114 metres long. After a four-day trek covering 150 kilometres, the expedition team finally reaches a valley basin where the Hunza people live. They build their houses on barren land, while the green, fertile ground is reserved for farming and gardening. The Hunza are a people of about 22,000 (as of 1954), who consider themselves descendants of soldiers in the army of Alexander the Great and whose 2,000-year-old traditions are deeply rooted. Their villages are surrounded by walnut and apricot trees. To ensure their soil remains fertile, Hunza farmers have to collect water from mountain glaciers and channel it for kilometres along irrigation canals to their terraced fields, which are enclosed by stone walls. Water is generally distributed according to a fair system, at precisely designated times of day and night. The main settlement and largest of the roughly 100 villages that existed in the Hunza Valley at the time is Baltit. The Mir and the Rani of Nagar have their seat here. The Mir is not only the leader but is also regarded as the highest judicial authority. For example, he passes judgment on a water thief, ordering the accused to pay the injured party a sheep and 50 seers of fresh grain. By tradition, court proceedings end with a feast. The sword dance offers a glimpse of the Hunza’s festive days and is performed only by men. As the dance progresses, the steps grow ever faster and the movements increasingly threatening. Also presented are equestrian games—including shooting from a galloping horse and jousting with lances—as well as polo, in which only stallions are ridden. Harvest time begins in July. Hunza farmers pull up the grain by hand, without tools, and then thresh it. The most important fruit tree is the apricot, which, together with whole-grain flatbread, is a staple food of the Hunza. Oil is extracted from some of the kernels; another portion is peeled and used as a delicacy. The shells of the kernels are burned. Processing the wool from sheep and goats is women’s work. The men twist and spin the textile fibres and work them on looms. The most elaborate building in Balkit, besides the palace, is the school, an ornamented half-timbered structure. Children are taught not only reading, writing and English, but also the art of raising silkworms and producing silk. Once a silkworm has pupated inside its cocoon, it is killed. The silk casing is collected and sent to the factory as raw material, where the silk is reeled and twisted. The film then shows a Hunza boy hunting birds, bringing down a songbird with a simple slingshot. Birds found in the Hunza Valley include the house sparrow and the hoopoe. There are few domestic animals. Water buffalo can still occasionally be seen in the foothills. Camels are gradually disappearing from the Hunza Valley. At higher elevations, the yak, introduced from Tibet, is an important pack and riding animal. However, most of the Hunza’s livestock consists of sheep and goats, which are driven from one mountain pasture to another during the summer months. The final part of the film returns to the expedition. Preparations are shown for the porter caravan to Rakaposhi, followed by the trek on foot or riding over steep rocky slopes, hot desert-like landscapes, scree, barren high plateaus and alpine pastures. Only herders and hunters live in this rugged mountain landscape. After several days on the march, the expedition reaches a spot on a glacier’s moraine ridge where the main camp is set up. Spring is beginning in the mountains, and dog roses, alpine flowers, yellow buttercups, wild rhubarb, butterbur, bellflowers, forget-me-nots and sea buckthorn are in full bloom. The dominant tree in the area is the birch, whose thick bark the Hunza use as wrapping paper and the expedition members use as writing paper. The film then shows life in the main camp: food preparation, the team doctor at work, the expedition leader sending messages, and two snow leopard cubs found by a local man, which served as the camp’s mascots. The plant geographer takes meteorological measurements and prepares a herbarium of plants. The geologist is shown conducting an earth-magnetic survey with a field balance, while the geographer and surveyor map the expedition area and survey the Batura Glacier. At an altitude of 5,000 metres, a Hunza hunter goes ibex hunting with a muzzle-loading rifle, and soon afterwards griffon vultures gather around another ibex carcass. Various scouting parties are formed to find the best route to the summit of Rakaposhi. At the end of the film, expedition members Dolf Meyer, Paul Bernett and Martin Schliessler climb across a hanging glacier to a subsidiary peak of Batura at an altitude of 6,700 metres.