Pema has grown up in the capital of Nepal while his parents stayed high up in the Himalayas. He is expected to return to his family’s village to marry a local girl. Together with his sisters, one of whom has grown up with adoptive parents in the Netherlands, he travels to the remote mountain village. After a 10-day trek on foot across the Himalayas, they arrive at their parents’ home. After a warm reunion, tensions quickly mount: the parents are counting on their only son to fulfil his responsibilities, marry and work the land. But Pema can see no life for himself in this remote region without a computer…
Amid spectacular shots of the mountain landscape, a sensitive generational conflict brews, laying bare the contrasts between modern life and the traditional mountain community. The Only Son came away in the top 5 for the IDFA Audience Award and is part of the Best of IDFA on Tour.