Since time immemorial, nomadic herdsmen have lived in an extremely harsh environment on the plateau of the Himalayas, pasturing their yaks in the highest meadows of the world. Every spring, the men of the tribe set off with their robust pack animals on an arduous three-month journey to the salt lakes of northern Tibet. The film follows this traditional nomadic caravan, steeped in religious ritual but doomed by technological progress, as it sets off to the salt lakes to haul the "white gold" back to their native valleys. Shot under the most difficult of conditions, The Saltmen of Tibet brings the viewer as close as possible to the mysterious and religious experience of another world.

Born in Germany, Ulrike Koch studied Sinology, Japanology and Ethnology at Zurich and Beijing Universities. She served as a casting director for Bernardo Bertolucci's films, "The Last Emperor" and "Little Buddha".