Stanzin Dorjai Gya

Dorjai was born in the village of Gya in Ladakh, in the India Himalayas. The name "Stanzin" is very common in Ladakh, so locally he is often referred to as "Stanzin Gya" after the village where he was born. 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. 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 learned more about the visual medium from among others, Rahul Ranadive and Lars Lidström. In 2005, Dorjai received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Jammu University. In 2000, he founded the Himalayan Film House in Leh, wherein he has directed and produced feature films and documentaries on regional, national and international issues. For many years, he has collaborated with French filmmaker, Christiane Mordelet as co-directors on several film projects.