War and poverty force Gulzar, a young tourist boatman, to run away from Kashmir with his best friend. But a military crackdown derails their escape, and they become trapped in Gulzar’s lake village
Waiting for conditions to change, they discover a mysterious woman, braving the curfew to research the dying lake. As Gulzar falls for her, rivalry and jealousy threaten his boyhood friendship and their plans of escape. Gulzar must choose between a new life and a new love.
The first film set in the endangered lake communities of Kashmir, Valley of Saints blends fiction and documentary to bring audiences inside this unique world.
Press
A brave, poetic and visually arresting evocation of a beautiful but troubled region Sundance Film Festival Jury
There is a rare intimacy to Valley of Saints that can only be achieved through Syeed’s rare combination of documentary closeness and refreshingly honest actors who seem to grow together as we watch them The Reel Bits, Sydney
Awards
Winner Alfred P Sloan Feature Film Prize, Sundance
Winner Special Jury Award, Mumbai International Film Festival
Winner Cinema en un Ambiente Diverso, Milan Film Festival
Winner Best Feature, Ashland Independent Film Festival
Winner Best Narrative Feature and Best Director, The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
