Travellers and Magicians
Encyclopedia
Travellers and Magicians is a 2003
Bhutan
ese Dzongkha language
film written and directed by Khyentse Norbu, a reincarnate lama
of Tibetan Buddhism
, who is also known as Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
. The movie is the first feature film shot entirely in the kingdom of Bhutan. The majority of the cast are not professional actors; Dendup, a well-known Bhutanese radio actor and producer, is the exception. This movie is among the first to take a Himalayan Buddhist perspective.
Tagline: The bitter and the sweet of temporary things.
gho
) dreams of escaping there while stuck in a beautiful but isolated village. He hopes to connect in the U.S. with a visa
out of the country. He misses the one bus out of town to Thimphu
, however, and is forced to hitchhike and walk along the Lateral Road to the west, accompanied by an apple seller, a Buddhist monk
with his ornate, dragon-headed dramyin
heading to Thimphu, a drunk, a widowed rice paper
maker and his daughter Sonam (played by Sonam Lhamo).
To pass the time, the monk tells the tale of Tashi, a restless farmboy who, like Dondup, dreams of escaping village life. Tashi rides a horse that goes into a forest. He immediately becomes lost in remote mountains and finds his life entwined with that of an elderly hermit woodcutter and his beautiful young wife. Tashi's wish of escape granted, he finds himself caught in a web of lust and jealousy, enchanted by the beautiful and yielding wife, but fearing the woodsman and his axe. Tashi finally tries to murder the woodcutter, aided by his wife who is pregnant by Tashi. He runs away, however, while the old man is near death, burdened by his guilt. Deki, the woodcutter's wife calls and runs after him, but probably falls into a mountain river while giving pursuit.
Tashi's adventures finally turn out to be hallucinations induced by chhaang
, a home-brewed liquor. The monk's tale merely parallels Dondup's growing attraction to Sonam. During a dilemma similar to Tashi's, Dondup manages to hitch a ride to Thimphu. The film ends without showing the final outcome of Dondup's journey - his visa interview and his trip abroad. The audience is left to wonder whether the trip changed his attitude toward the village and Bhutan, and if he returned to the village.
, Government of Bhutan and the Royal Bodyguard
. Many production decisions, including casting and fixing the date of release, were chosen using Mo - an ancient method of divination
.
about a group of travellers and an infatuation between a dancing girl and a schoolboy. The story of Tashi was inspired by a Buddhist fable
about two brothers, one of whom aspires to become a magician.
In making this film, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, an internationally-renowned Buddhist lama, sets the standard for the nascent Bhutanese film industry. The film depicts traditional Bhutanese folklore, and storytelling techniques. Travellers and Magicians is a profoundly Bhutanese film, with a theme and vocabulary that reflects the culture of Bhutan
.
The storytelling technique employed in the film is the one of a story within a story
, as the monk narrates the story of Tashi within the film. The nesting of worlds go three levels deep, as Tashi hallucinates/dreams after consuming chhang.
Traditional, as well as fusion music is used in the movie, with Western rock and Western-influenced music being heard via Dondup's music system, and traditional music from the dramyin of the monk and as ambient music. The noted chant music advocate David Hykes
also contributed music to the film at the invitation of the director. A soundtrack of the movie has been commercially released.
Since only a quarter of the people of Bhutan have a mother tongue of Dzongkha, one of the cast members - Sonam Kinga, acted as dialog coach to the cast.
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
ese Dzongkha language
Dzongkha language
Dzongkha , occasionally Ngalopkha, is the national language of Bhutan. The word "dzongkha" means the language spoken in the dzong, – dzong being the fortress-like monasteries established throughout Bhutan by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century."Bhutani" is not another name for...
film written and directed by Khyentse Norbu, a reincarnate lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, who is also known as Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche , also known as Khyentse Norbu, is a Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and writer. His two major films are The Cup and Travellers and Magicians . He is the author of the book What Makes You Not a Buddhist...
. The movie is the first feature film shot entirely in the kingdom of Bhutan. The majority of the cast are not professional actors; Dendup, a well-known Bhutanese radio actor and producer, is the exception. This movie is among the first to take a Himalayan Buddhist perspective.
Tagline: The bitter and the sweet of temporary things.
Plot
A young government official named Dondup (played by Tshewang Dendup) who is smitten with America (he even has a denimDenim
Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
gho
Gho
The gho is the traditional and national dress for men in Bhutan. Introduced in the 17th century by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel to give the Bhutanese a more distinctive identity, it is a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera...
) dreams of escaping there while stuck in a beautiful but isolated village. He hopes to connect in the U.S. with a visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
out of the country. He misses the one bus out of town to Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
, however, and is forced to hitchhike and walk along the Lateral Road to the west, accompanied by an apple seller, a Buddhist monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
with his ornate, dragon-headed dramyin
Dramyin
The dramyin or dranyen is a traditional Himalayan folk music lute with seven strings, used primarily as an accompaniment to singing in the Drukpa Buddhist culture and society in Bhutan, as well as in Tibet, Sikkim and Himalayan West Bengal. It is often used in religious festivals of Vajrayana...
heading to Thimphu, a drunk, a widowed rice paper
Rice paper
Rice paper usually refers to paper made from parts of the rice plant, like rice straw or rice flour. The term is also used for paper made from or containing other plants, such as hemp, bamboo or mulberry...
maker and his daughter Sonam (played by Sonam Lhamo).
To pass the time, the monk tells the tale of Tashi, a restless farmboy who, like Dondup, dreams of escaping village life. Tashi rides a horse that goes into a forest. He immediately becomes lost in remote mountains and finds his life entwined with that of an elderly hermit woodcutter and his beautiful young wife. Tashi's wish of escape granted, he finds himself caught in a web of lust and jealousy, enchanted by the beautiful and yielding wife, but fearing the woodsman and his axe. Tashi finally tries to murder the woodcutter, aided by his wife who is pregnant by Tashi. He runs away, however, while the old man is near death, burdened by his guilt. Deki, the woodcutter's wife calls and runs after him, but probably falls into a mountain river while giving pursuit.
Tashi's adventures finally turn out to be hallucinations induced by chhaang
Chhaang
Chhaang or chang is a Tibetan/Sherpa/Limbu/Newari alcoholic beverage also popular in parts of eastern Himalayas.-Geographical prevalence:...
, a home-brewed liquor. The monk's tale merely parallels Dondup's growing attraction to Sonam. During a dilemma similar to Tashi's, Dondup manages to hitch a ride to Thimphu. The film ends without showing the final outcome of Dondup's journey - his visa interview and his trip abroad. The audience is left to wonder whether the trip changed his attitude toward the village and Bhutan, and if he returned to the village.
Production
In keeping with the production of Norbu's previous movie The Cup, no professional actors (save Dendup - a radio actor) were used - auditions were held to select the cast from all walks of life - including farmers, schoolchildren, and employees of the Bhutan Broadcasting ServiceBhutan Broadcasting Service
The Bhutan Broadcasting Service is the national radio and television service in Bhutan. A public service corporation, it is fully funded by the State and it is currently the only service to offer both radio and television to the Kingdom, and is the only television service to broadcast from inside...
, Government of Bhutan and the Royal Bodyguard
Royal Bodyguard
The Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan is a part of the Royal Bhutan Army but independent as it is under the personal command of the King of Bhutan and is in charge of the security of the King of Bhutan and members of the royalty...
. Many production decisions, including casting and fixing the date of release, were chosen using Mo - an ancient method of divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
.
New Aspects
According to the director, the story of Dendup was inspired by Izu No Odoriko (The Dancing Girl of Izu), a story by Yasunari KawabataYasunari Kawabata
was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award...
about a group of travellers and an infatuation between a dancing girl and a schoolboy. The story of Tashi was inspired by a Buddhist fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
about two brothers, one of whom aspires to become a magician.
In making this film, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, an internationally-renowned Buddhist lama, sets the standard for the nascent Bhutanese film industry. The film depicts traditional Bhutanese folklore, and storytelling techniques. Travellers and Magicians is a profoundly Bhutanese film, with a theme and vocabulary that reflects the culture of Bhutan
Culture of Bhutan
Cradled in the folds of the Himalayas, Bhutan has relied on its geographic isolation to protect itself from outside cultural influences. A sparsely populated country bordered by India to the south and China to the north, Bhutan has long maintained a policy of strict isolationism, both culturally...
.
The storytelling technique employed in the film is the one of a story within a story
Story within a story
A story within a story, also rendered story-within-a-story, is a literary device in which one narrative is presented during the action of another narrative. Mise en abyme is the French term for a similar literary device...
, as the monk narrates the story of Tashi within the film. The nesting of worlds go three levels deep, as Tashi hallucinates/dreams after consuming chhang.
Traditional, as well as fusion music is used in the movie, with Western rock and Western-influenced music being heard via Dondup's music system, and traditional music from the dramyin of the monk and as ambient music. The noted chant music advocate David Hykes
David Hykes
David Hykes is a composer, singer, musician, author, and meditation teacher. He was one of the earliest modern western pioneers of so-called overtone singing, and has developed since 1975 a comprehensive approach to contemplative music which he calls Harmonic Chant...
also contributed music to the film at the invitation of the director. A soundtrack of the movie has been commercially released.
Since only a quarter of the people of Bhutan have a mother tongue of Dzongkha, one of the cast members - Sonam Kinga, acted as dialog coach to the cast.
Awards
- Audience award, Deauville Asian Film FestivalDeauville Asian Film FestivalThe Deauville Asian Film Festival takes place annually in Deauville, France since 1999 and focuses on Asian cinema...
- Best emerging director, Asian American International Film festival
External links
- Official site
- Review in the NY Times
- Interview with the director, ifp.org
- Discussion of Travellers and Magicians
- http://www.wordsofmyperfectteacher.com feature documentary on T&M director, Khyentse Norbu