Film Synopsis

Deep in the remote wilderness of the eastern Himalayas, where 6,000 meter peaks plunge into the isolated valley of northwest Yunnan, WHEN THE MOUNTAINS WERE REBORN follows two locals on a journey of self-discovery as they are forced to confront the destructive tendencies of the “old ways” and the needs of their communities in order to achieve the ultimate goal: preservation of their native lands.

Guests: Chiljay Lee (Director, Sociologist), Wang Yue (TNC Acting Director of Yunnan Program)

Chuljay Lee Born in 1979 in Germany to Korean parents, he studied social studies in Seoul and Berlin, specializing in urban sociology. Since 2004 he has worked in several media projects as an editor and filmmaker, and since moving to China in 2008 he has produced video content for several international broadcasters and media companies. “When the mountains were Reborn” is his second documentary film project. He is currently working on his first full feature-length documentary “Spinning World”.

Wang Yue is the Acting Director of Yunnan Program overseeing the conservation projects and making conservation strategies for Yunnan Program. She joined TNC in June 2007 and has been working on the policies and legal framework of national park strategy since then. She interned with TNC West Virginia Chapter for four months in 2006 (from June to October). She helped the chapter to identify the conservation priority areas in West Appalachian Plateau. She worked with Xishuangbann Tropical Botanic Garden, Chinese Academy of Science and Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge from 2002 to 2004 as a research assistant. Wang Yue obtained a master of forest science from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in 2006 and a bachelor of forestry from Beijing Forestry University in 2001.

Partner: The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Sponsor: Smart