Keepers of the Stupa: Life Around Boudhanath

Most visitors see Boudhanath for an hour. The people in this film see it every day of their lives. They sell incense and singing bowls around the square, light butter lamps at dusk, run the rooftop cafés and walk the kora before work. Together they are the reason the stupa feels alive rather than preserved.

One square, many lives

The film follows a single day around the stupa, from the first prayers before sunrise to the last lamps at night. In between are small, ordinary moments: tea between customers, children chasing pigeons, a monk stopping to talk with an old friend.

Filming respectfully

A sacred place is not a set. We filmed from the edges, asked before every close-up and spent time explaining the project before recording anyone. Several of the best moments in the film came only after people had seen us around for days and stopped noticing the camera.

You don’t film a place like this. You wait until it lets you.