In a Himalayan polyandrous village in Nepal, newly married and pregnant Pema tries to make the best of her new life. But soon, her first husband Tashi vanishes on the trade route to Lhasa.
Accompanied by her monk de facto husband, Karma, she embarks on a journey into the unforgiving wilderness to find him, evolving into a quest of self-discovery and liberation.
Accompanied by her monk de facto husband, Karma, she embarks on a journey into the unforgiving wilderness to find him, evolving into a quest of self-discovery and liberation.
Director
Nepalese filmmaker Min Bahadur Bham holds Masters degrees in Buddhist Philosophy and Political Science while pursuing a PhD in Anthropology. His short, Bansulli (2012), Nepal’s first entry to the Venice IFF, followed by his debut feature Kalo Pothi (2015), which won the FEDEORA Best Film Award at Venice Critics Week, and became Nepal’s official Oscar entry. Acknowledged for nurturing emerging talent, his productions have graced the festivals like - Venice, Berlinale, Rotterdam and Busan.
His second feature, SHAMBHALA, made history as Nepal’s first film in the Berlinale Competition section.
His second feature, SHAMBHALA, made history as Nepal’s first film in the Berlinale Competition section.
Cast & crew
CAST
Thinley Lhamo
Sonam Topden
Tenzin Dalha
Karma Wangyal Gurung
PRODUCERS
Shooney Films
Co-produced by Catherine Dussart (Rithy Panh, Amos Gitai’s films), Verona Meier (Feathers, Rafiki), Shuk Fong Chong, Zeynep Koray, Justine O. (Only the River Flows, The Last Queen), Bibhakar Sunder Shakya
Festivals and awards
- BERLINALE 2024 - COMPETITION
“Intimate and epic… Some of the more breathtaking scenery recently captured on screen… It’s as if Bham were conditioning the viewer for the type of patient, trance-like experience needed to reach a deeper level of being.”
“A visually magnificent piece… At once a spiritual odyssey and a more concrete journey of female self-determination… Shambhala’s visual sweep and emotional accessibility deserve to bring it attention.”
“Eye-popping compositions… It reveals a surprisingly feminist vision of contentment, spirituality and the social expectations women are forced to shoulder — the burden of proof always lies on Pema, and never on those casting aspersions on her character.”
“Shambhala proves to be a captivating and profound work, at once a deep-dive into a frugal yet highly ritualized village existence, a great journey through desert-like, spectacular scenery, and a spiritual experience in action… Film unfolds with perfect harmony… Striking a balance between substance and form.”
