A Shawl To Die For

Shatoosh

A Shawl To Die For traces the ancient handicraft of Shahtoosh weaving in Kashmir, India and tracks its link to the Tibetan antelope or Chiru found on the Chang Tang plateau in China. It establishes that shahtoosh is, in fact the fleece of the chiru, which is killed to extract this fibre. The international ban on Shahtoosh was critical for the survival of thee endangered Chiru, but it also spelt disaster for thousands of traditional Shahtoosh workers in Kashmir. The film explores this grim struggle between conservation and livelihood.

It also documents the interventions brought in by a community project initiated by Wildlife Trust of India and International Fund for Animal Welfare, supported by the British High Commission. The solutions thrown up by this project have been steadily implemented and the challenge now is to ensure and measure its growth and success.