Ladakhi film Birds on Ice by debut filmmaker Sahil Shah heads to Busan for its World premiere. Set against the distinctive landscape and cultural milieu of Ladakh, Birds on Ice brings a unique regional voice to the international festival circuit. The film follows Tashi, a young Ladakhi girl, living with her grandfather as they wait winter after winter for Tashi’s parents to return from grazing their animals. As they hang on to their last shreds of hope, little Tashi dreams of playing ice hockey in the harsh yet breathtaking natural rinks of the Ladakh Himalayas. However, grief, adversity and the harsh winter make this hard to achieve.Ultimately, it’s a story of love, friendship, of resistance, of the innocence that exists in complex relationships and the shared joy of achievement.The film features Padma Charol as herself, a forward for India’s National Women’s Ice Hockey Team and a pioneering presence in the sport. Her story, lived and ongoing, anchors the narrative in reality, connecting the film to the wider ecosystem in Ladakh and to a generation of young girls who arebeginning to dream of playing the sport.With its world premiere at one of Asia’s leading film festivals, the film and its team offer an interesting opportunity for conversations around Ladakhi cinema, storytelling, the making of the film, and bringing stories from the region to a global audience.