Floating Lamp of the Shadow Valley

More than 80,000 dead, over 350,000 driven away from their homes, more than one million mentally disabled and over 400,000 security officers. This is the sad state of affairs in Kashmir, the much-disputed province on the border of India and Pakistan. The rigid opening statement of this otherwise hopeful portrait contrasts sharply with the almost idyllic scenes that follow: the gorgeous scenery of the region, delicate and robust at the same time, and a nine-year-old boy who canoes up and down the lake as a ferryman. The boy's life story is less idyllic, a voice-over tells us. He lives with his three little brothers, sister and mother in a small hut on the bank of the river. Arif talks candidly about his situation. The conflict over Kashmir does not only play a role in the background of this film - sometimes, it affects Arif's life directly. His father was one of the fighters (terrorists, Arif calls them), and on his way to his aunt's house, he witnesses some bloody fighting. And he does not escape the devastating earthquake in 2005, either: his house sustains heavy damages. Nevertheless, Arif keeps on working imperturbably on a better future for his mother, brothers and sister.