Bhutanese filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji has collaborated with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma on A Song for the Snow Lion, a 21-minute documentary exploring Bhutanese folklore, music and the impact of climate change on the Himalayas.
The film premiered at the 2026 Telluride Film Festival in Colorado on September 5. Set partly in Lunana, one of Bhutan’s remote highland regions, it centres on the mythical snow lion, traditionally associated with the country’s mountains and glaciers.
The documentary features Ma performing with Bhutanese folk singer Kelden Lhamo, with the story drawing on Dorji’s childhood folklore. Its final sequence was filmed at about 5,500 metres, where Ma required supplemental oxygen and medical monitoring.The film also captures the sound of a cracking glacier, underscoring concerns over retreating Himalayan ice and its impact on both communities and cultural traditions.
The project comes amid growing concern over climate-related disasters in the Himalayan region, including the recent glacier collapse and flooding in Nepal. Through music and folklore, Dorji and Ma aim to highlight the environmental and cultural stakes of a rapidly changing Himalayas.