The success of any documentary lies in the level of access the filmmaker acquires, and one way or another, German director Ulrike Koch managed to get a whole lot of access to a group of Tibetan nomads and their secret traditions for The Saltmen Of Tibet. Each year, these nomads and their herd of hardy yaks make a highly ritualized three-month trek to the salt lakes of Changtang to harvest salt for use in future bartering. Koch, after vaulting the predictable hurdles set up by the Chinese government, accompanied these nomads on their quest across beautiful but daunting stretches of remote land, capturing the fascinating voyage. This being Tibet, the nomads, full of innocent work songs and independent spirit, are automatically politicized, though any cheerleading on the part of the invisible filmmakers is subtle. The sense of tradition exuded by the nomads is both admirable and antiquated, and if they weren't so apparently open to outside attention, The Saltmen Of Tibet would feel almost intrusive. A culture as delicate as the saltmen's is easily corrupted, so Koch should be commended for staying out of the way. Spectacular but also very slow, his hypnotic film makes recent Zen workouts like Kundun seem like Star Wars.