Cordyceps sinensis is a bizarre combination of a caterpillar and a fungus that grows wild on the plateaus of Tibet, more than 4000 metres above sea level. Renowned for its benefits to the immune system, today it is one of the most famous fungi in Chinese traditional medicine. Nicknamed “Himalayan Viagra”, it is one of the major sources of income for Tibetan nomads. This documentary traces the farming, processing and marketing of this new ‘brown gold’, from the plateaus of the Himalayas, via Hong Kong’s largest laboratory, to the medicine traders of South-East Asia. The production of this fungus is changing Tibetan society as the nomads are now settling because the profits from the harvest mean that they can provide for their people.
Director
JEANNE MASCOLO DE FILIPPIS
Jean Mascolo de Filippis graduated in Tibetan Language and Civilisation in 1987. He plans, organizes and supervises commercial tours and expeditions in Asia, especially to the Himalayas and Tibet. He contributed to the translation of Sadhus et Brigands du Kailash, a book by Italian Tibetologist Giuseppe Tucci, and to guides on Bhutan, the Himalayas and Tibet. His most recent films include Aller plus haut (2008) and Edgar Morin, un penseur planétaire (2007).
Gallery
