Directed by Jon Fitzgerald

The path to deeper self-understanding and spiritual fulfillment can take many forms. So why not on a white-knuckle motorcycle trip at an elevation of 18,000 feet?

The Highest Pass follows the journey of seven people, each on his own spiritual quest. Their guide—a 27-year-old bike-riding, iPhone-wielding yogi named Anand Mehrotra, whose astrological chart foretells an early death in an accident. Could this be his time?

Yogi Anand leads his leather-clad followers on a breathtaking high altitude expedition along the highest “motorable” road in the world, deep in the Himalayas of India. But it’s not a smooth start. In the first two days, two riders have serious altercations with overloaded trucks (nicknamed “road killers”) that seriously jeopardize their ability to continue. They persevere—only to encounter mud, gravel, water, snow, icy cliff edges, more snow, more water and yet more snow. Talk about a lesson in heightened awareness and staying present!

Beautifully shot and edited, this film is equal parts exotic travelogue to places rarely seen by western eyes, and inner divine discovery. You can almost smell the incense and feel the biting cold of the snow. It’s easy to lose yourself in the expedition and, in fact, a viewer might even briefly consider making that same journey. Briefly.

Ultimately, however, The Highest Pass also raises more questions than it answers. Was this road trip truly a way for the riders to rid themselves of fear so they can open themselves up to love? Is the challenge, as Anand suggests, representative of our inner difficulties and the bike ride our inner journey? Or are these seven riders following a crazy guy with a death wish? Either way, it’s one hell of a journey and well worth watching.

—Jacquelin Sonderling

* In theatres April 27

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