The Hornbill Promise
Synopsys
This is a story of the rare Rufous-necked Hornbills of Latpanchor in the Mahananda forest of India-one of the world’s most beautiful yet elusive and endangered birds. Despite their lifelong monogamy and remarkable longevity, fewer than 10,000 remain in the wild today. and the species is classified as Vulnerable. As forests quietly disappear and human presence climbs higher into the mountains, the ancient trees they depend on vanish, placing their future at risk.
In Latpanchor, however, a different story unfolds. Revered as sacred, hornbills are protected by the community, who greet each day with chants of “Jai Dhanesh”—Hail the Hornbill. Here, conservation is a way of life.
At the heart of the film is Dolma and Dorjee, a devoted hornbill pair that chooses to nest unusually close to the village, in a tree cavity near a deep forest trail. As Dolma seals herself inside for three months to lay and raise their chicks, Dorjee tirelessly protects and provides for her and their young. Their remarkable life-long love affair becomes a testament to trust, resilience, and coexistence.
Set against the question of whether new life can thrive so close to human presence, The Hornbill Promise is a powerful story of harmony—where people and wildlife coexist, forests regenerate, and the call of hornbills brings prosperity to the hills they call home.
Human promises are sealed by rituals, witnessed by many.
But in nature, some promises need no words, no ceremony—
Yet they last a lifetime. This is the Hornbill Promise.
Trailer : In Progress
Genre
Nature and Wildlife, Conservation
Duration
1 × 60 min
Definition
4K
Audio
5.1
Status
Under Production
