The date was June 11th, 2019. The location was Guam, an island territory in the Western Pacific. A football match was played between two teams in which the Guam national football team won 5-0 advancing to the next round of the Asian qualifiers. This match occurred in the nascent stages of what was eventually a 3 year process; one that was impacted by acts of terrorism, months of hysteria over a global pandemic, a volcanic eruption, and geo-political warfare. And that’s before one gets to the typical shithousery that occurs during World Cup qualifying.
Among the shenanigans were penalty kicks conducted during an impromptu laser light show; a completely asinine decision to play a game in near arctic conditions; protests over dodgy refereeing decisions; poorly timed claims of teams using ineligible players as well as multiple futile requests to replay matches. It was enough to make one consider whether or not there exists more drama in the qualification stage than in the actual event itself.
But nonetheless on this particular date, Guam’s opponent, Bhutan, became the first nation to be eliminated, out of the 211 that initially expressed a desire to compete in the World Cup. At that time, knowing very little about the country, I wondered if Bhutan actually had a film industry and to my surprise they did. I know that whoever wins this tournament will be featured somewhere in this series. If I should include the country that wins the World Cup, for the sake of balance I don’t see why I shouldn’t also explore the cinema pursuits of the country that finished dead last. Even more surprising is the fact that Bhutanese cinema had managed to secure US distribution. Zeitgeist Films acquired the US rights to Khyentse Norbu’s second feature film and published a DVD version in 2005. According to worldcat.org, there were 8 libraries within a 40 mile radius of where I live that were still holding a copy of this film. DVD copies can also be purchased online or rented out from Facets. The film can also be streamed on iTunes and Kanopy among other options.
This film made me contemplate on whether or not there is an inversely proportional relationship between the difficulty in obtaining access to a film and my enjoyment of it. I personally visited 4 different libraries only to find that they keep their DVDs locked. I visited multiple websites whose videos displayed a message indicating a company that exercised their distribution copyrights. An ILL requested was submitted and went absolutely nowhere. Eventually I had to pay 10 bucks to acquire a DVD of this film from Ebay. Perhaps this is how economics within the cultural realm should function. A purchase in exchange for personal ownership is only made as a last resort when all avenues to consume the work as an unscrupulous cheapskate have been vanquished.
While Bhutan may be a small country, the first film to ever be shot in the Kingdom displayed a quality with its imagery and overall cinematography that one might thoughtlessly expect from a big-budget production. The mise-en-scène was excellent and throughout the film there was a very noticeable artistry in how shots were staged. One can see this in the shot of Dondup as he awaited a ride, with Apple Man walking in the background, or perhaps in the intriguing shot of both Tashi and Deki as they lay in a field. The latter of course was shot at an angle that completely obscured the presence of both characters. While earlier scenes had only slyly hinted at an illicit tryst between the pair, this shot went further in casting a more candid expression of their emotions in a seemingly disembodied manner. The film often showed a tendency to experiment with different angles and perspectives. When Dondup visited the post office at the beginning of the film, not only are both performers effectively staged within the windows of the office, but a later shot of Dondup employed a more prominent upward angle suggesting a certain stature with the character. Overall the framing managed a good balance between intimate and panoramic perspectives, affording both the acting and the landscapes of the setting to have an equitable impact.
The film might also be noted for its slow, meticulous pace. In the first half of the film, one was greeted to a 30-second shot of Dondup smoking alongside the road in near silence. Later there was a 50-second shot of the monk playing a dramyin while trying to make small talk with Dondup. Such scenes I think deftly conveyed the slow pace of life in the country, which apparently had prompted Dondup to leave for more exciting adventures elsewhere. And honestly I think the film’s laid-back, leisurely exposition would be frowned upon by most American viewers. The average viewer from the country that Dondup had wished to emigrate to would sympathize with the character over how long he had to wait to catch a ride. To further expand on Dondup’s desire, there were some interesting shots of the characters while riding in the back of a truck. Here Dondup was cast against a terrain that changed rapidly behind him. One could argue that the background changed at a pace that would suit the character. This of course was in wonderful contrast to the other characters who were cast against a more panoramic view that remained relatively stable.
While it didn’t have quite the impact as the other aspects of the film, there was some good use of camera movement, especially the upward pan shot of the rock painting before the film transitioned back to the inner narratives. I generally felt as if the filmmakers used the inner narratives as a chance to play with the overall tone and feel of the imagery. The use of visual effects made this portion of the film more mystical and vaguely surrealistic, distinguishing it from the main narrative. The early scenes of the dream sequence, as Tashi approached Agay’s residence, had such a grim, Gothic feel that one might wonder if they accidentally ventured into a horror film. The sequence of Tashi getting lost in the forest also had an especially dreamy, ethereal feel to it.
As for the narrative structure itself, I tend to regard it as modestly intriguing with a story that was contained within the main story, and arguable another story that was embedded within the original inner story. Unfortunately though this sort of narrative echo chamber hindered the focus and overall pace of the film. It also had to compensate for the fact that the actual stories themselves were not particularly compelling. The main narrative was little more than the standard ubiquitous road trip trope, while the inner most narrative, the one that was induced through an hallucinogenic episode, was little more than a pulpy tale of people struggling to deal with the temptation and consequences of forbidden passions. The only fun that could be had with the separate narratives was in pondering their allegorical relationship, which the film practically invited the viewer to consider.
For instance did there exist a parallel between Dondup’s ambition to flee to America and Tashi’s pursuit of a mysterious white horse, acts where perhaps both characters chased an unverified, unattainable notion of contentment? The fact that Tashi’s pursuit lead him to a strange land where people lived in communal isolation and were driven by individualistic desires might ultimately be a subversive critique of Western cultures. There was certainly a sharp difference between the actions of Deki and that of Sonam who wished to stay at home and take care of her father. If nothing else the narratives were often very thoughtful given the symbolism in the stories, as well as the wisdom that one encountered from the monk. Probably my favorite line in the film was the comment from the monk in which he stated: “...a blossom is only beautiful because it is temporary”. In this vein of thought, I wonder if there is a relationship between an adventure’s enjoyment and its lack of sustainability. Dondup came across as a youthful spirit who had never considered the dark realities that lurked behind his dreams. He certainly seemed oblivious to the idea that the tedium of human life would hunt him down and find him wherever he went. Travellers and Magicians offered more of a mental journey than one through physical space and time, and it was one that succeeded in expressing the fickle and transitory nature of one’s desires.
Tshewang Dendup was the performer tasked with navigating this journey in the role of Dondup. I thought he did a good job of injecting some personality early in the film. Granted one might be slightly repulsed with the character’s arrogance and condescending tone when he blamed Apple Man for the fact that he couldn’t catch get a ride, or perhaps for the way he snapped back at the monk in their first scene together. Dendup though was for the most part skillful at gradually transitioning out of the brash conceited, Westernized tone that he established for the character in the early parts of the story. Dendup also complimented his performance with some excellent physical acting. Even without the dialogue, it was plainly evident from his sorrowful countenance how distraught Dondup was when he was still waiting for his letter. In general the performers in this film did a great job with their physical body language. Lhakpa Dorji in the role of Tashi was masterful with the physical nuances of his performance that displayed a wide range of human emotions. His simple wayward focus efficiently expressed the apathy that Tashi had for his magic training, and yet Dorji was equally superb in showing his vulnerability upon arriving at Agay’s residence. I also liked Dorji’s tinge of guilt and remorse in the scene where Agay was poisoned. Deki Yangzom in the role of Deki also did good work in the ‘field scene’ where her look of dreadful sorrow foretold the unsavory ending to this tale. But of course Yangzom should be better remembered for the unspoken chemistry that her character had with Tashi. Yangzom’s expressive, yet cryptic eye movements along with the methodically delicate manner in which she performed her material practically and subtly told a story itself.
Some of the other performers like Sonam Lhamo in the role of Sonam, and Dasho Adab Sangye who plays Sonam’s father brought a warm, pleasant amicable spirit to the film which offered a pleasant contrast against the character of Dondup. Lhamo did her best work in the scenes that she shared with Dendup who induced a more assertive performance from the actress. I also enjoyed Sonam Kinga’s performance as the Monk simply for the warm, easy-going, even-keeled ambiance that he brought to the film. In playing a character who was well versed in the teachings of Buddhism, Kinga got all the best lines in the film. The wisdom that the character expressed wasn’t particularly deep or insightful, but on the other hand it avoided being overbearing and preachy as well. The film used such such content modestly and in a manner that was well integrated into the story. Given the wisdom that he delivered and the effortless grace in how he played the role, Kinga assuredly embodied the intellectual and spiritual center for the film. But beyond this I can still appreciate Kinga’s sly grin when questioning Dondup’s motives for staying behind after the bus had left. It was one of the few moments in the film where the acting offered some modest charm, and yet this revealed the biggest problem with the film. While the acting was for the most part good, the film lacked a performance that was indisputably compelling. And this is how I generally feel about the film as a whole. It’s a comfortable and pleasing film but yet a film that didn’t quite leave me enthralled.
And with that the World Cup of Cinema for 2022 comes to a close, ending a project that spanned more than 3 and a half years, $41 to acquire three DVDs, the purchase of 2 external disk drives, 2 free trials in order to stream a film, a continual membership to Facets, countless hours of research, several downloads, and trips to about a dozen different libraries, in addition to some ILL requests. Even though this was a project that I conducted by myself, there are a lot of people whose work made this possible that I need to express some gratitude towards. First I should thank all the distribution companies that have been making these films available in the US for decades. I’m not sure if the average movie consumer is aware of how important these companies are in regards to what we have the ability to watch, nor or they aware that some of these companies have incurred financial insolvency or have been bought out, but yet still ensured accessibility to films that one can get their hands on today. I would also like to thank all the various streaming platforms, like Amazon Prime, TubiTV, The Roku Channel, Rakuten Viki and others for their commitment in posting great films online from all over the world. When you dare to complete a project like this you can’t be picky about how you choose to watch a film. I’ve come to accept the notion that any path to a film is better than none at all. With this thought in mind I’d also like think all the random weirdos out there and others who have posted films to video-sharing sites like YouTube, Vimeo and so forth. I do not care about the alleged illegality of such acts. I have learned over the last 3 years that there is a large amount of global film culture for which the only path to consumption and enjoyment rests in acts that many would classify as copyright infringement, and this is a rather bittersweet conclusion to arrive at. I would like to thank Facets for the wonderfully broad and diverse library of films that they continue to maintain. Milos Stehlik the man who started Facets back in the mid-1970s passed away not long after I wrote the first critique for this project, and my hope for cinephiles everywhere is for Facets to have a long future ahead of itself. Most importantly though I would like to thank the suburban librarians of Chicago, who might be the true unsung heroes of this effort. I had been checking out titles from local libraries for nearly a decade prior to staring this project and the personal knowledge that I had gained on how diverse their collections were easily prodded me into thinking that this concept was actually possible. In regards to libraries where I checked items out directly, libraries whose copies where sent to me via ILL, and libraries that I personally visited to watch a film within their confines, the following libraries were used to complete this project, all of which are located in Illinois: Aurora Public Library, Geneva Public Library, Eastern Illinois University Library, Oakbrook Public Library, Fountaindale Public Library (Bolingbrook), Frankfort Public Library, Lisle Public Library, Moraine Valley Community College Library, Woodridge Public Library, Indian Trails Public Library District (Wheeling) and Oak Lawn Public Library. I’d also like to thank Elon University Library for their willingness to send a copy of a film across hundreds of miles and several different US states. By the way, La Estrategia del Caracol was a really great film, if you get more requests for that title please send it out. For those of you who spent time reading some of these critiques, I hope that you enjoyed them and my desire right now is do this again and come out with more work for the 2026 tournament. Until then, peace!