Mustang

Synopsis

At the age of twenty, Sophie Taricone sets out to understand a story that began before she was born. Through archival footage filmed by her parents, Kasia Smutniak and Pietro Taricone, during a journey to the remote Himalayan kingdom of Mustang in 2003, she retraces their deep connection to a land and culture that would shape their lives.

Spanning more than twenty years, the film intertwines family memory with the transformation of Mustang itself, following Kasia’s return after Pietro’s death and the creation of a school dedicated to preserving local culture.

Through the journeys of Sophie, Kasia and Kunzom, a mustanghi woman who has devoted her life to the school and its community, the documentary explores identity, loss and cultural preservation. As Mustang faces profound change, the journey becomes a reflection on time and acceptance — on what disappears, what remains, and what transforms.