Stanzin Dorjai is an Indian documentary filmmaker from Gya in Ladakh, India. He has won many film festival awards for his film The Shepherdess of the Glaciers.
Dorjai was born in the village of Gya in Ladakh, in the high Indian Himalayas. He had a semi-nomadic childhood, spending half of the month tending his family’s herd of yaks and cashmere goats, while attending school during the other half.[1] His father died when Dorjai was very young, and he grew up with his mother and four elder siblings. [2] During his upbringing in Gya, he did not have many opportunities to watch documentary films.[3]
In 1995, unable to pass the necessary standardized tests to complete high school, Dorjai began attending an alternative school, SECMOL (Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), where he learnt more about the visual medium. There it was able to watch more documentaries, and meet people from the film industry, including Indian filmmaker Lena Tace and Lars Lidstrom from Sweden, as well as his mentor, Mumbai based Director Rahul Randaive.[4] [5] In 2005, Dorjai received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Jammu University.[6]
In 2000, Dorjai worked as editor, executive producer and cinematographer of Tsondus, which is his first feature film. In 2006, he founded the Himalayan Film House in Leh, wherein he has directed and produced feature films and documentaries on regional, national and international issues.[7] In 2007, Mig choo became the first film made by the studio.[8]
Dorjai was chosen as the District Youth Icon (Leh) by the Election Commission of India, during the Lok Sabha Elections, 2019.
| Year | Films | Roles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Hemis | Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2006 | Prosperity and Youth Enterprise | Director, Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2006 | Mig choo | Co-Director with Zhanpo (Ladakh), Producer, Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2006 | Forever Sunshine | Co-Cinematographer | |
| 2007 | Development Redefined | Director, Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2008 | Living with Change | Director, Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2008 | Root and Lineage | Director, Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2008 | Khorwa | Co-Director with Zhanpo (Ladakh), Producer, Cinematographer, Editor | |
| 2010 | Behind the Mirror | Co-Director with Christiane Mordelet, Producer, Cinematographer, Scriptwriter | |
| 2013 | Jungwa: The Broken Balance | Co-Director with Christiane Mordelet, Producer, Cinematographer, Scriptwriter | |
| 2015 | Shepherdess of the Glaciers | Co-Director with Christiane Mordelet, Producer, Cinematographer, Scriptwriter | |
| 2016 | Perfectly Twisted | Director, Cinematographer, Scriptwriter | |
| 2016 | Lighting up the Himalayas | Director, Cinematographer, Scriptwriter |
The Shepherdess of the Glaciers [9] [10]
Jungwa, The Broken Balance [11]
Behind the Mirror [12]