Following the success of their short film Le botaniste, shot in a remote valley in Tajikistan, Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis and Maude Plante-Husaruk have joined forces again on this feature film in the ethnographic documentary tradition. This time, the filmmakers visit a community high in the Himalayas, respectfully documenting their cultural and social practices, as well as the thoughts and reflections of the community’s members. The focus falls on Lalita, a determined young mother who hopes to improve her life situation by taking part in a traditional expedition into the mountains on the hunt for a highly sought-after mushroom. With compositional prowess, Far Beyond the Pasturelands highlights how these artisanal practices are rooted in their unique surroundings – a threatened site of hostile beauty. (Programming Collective)