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The second film from Buddhist director Khyentse Norbu (his first film is 1999's "The Cup", "Travellers & Magicians" is a beautiful, funny, spiritual and understated piece of cinema. The film involves two stories about two men, both on very similar journeys in very different worlds, with two very different outcomes.

Dondup (Tshewang Dendup) is an important chief officer in a remote village in the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, but soon realizes that he can not stay there his whole life and longs to travel to his dreamland called America. He would rather see himself picking apples in the U.S. than live a mundane life in his village. And so he begins his journey, hitchhiking his way closer to his dreamland. On the way he meets a feisty monk (played by a funny Sonam Kinga), an old apple seller, and a paper maker & his young daughter Sonam, whom Dondup slowly begins to grow an attraction for.

During the journey, the monk tells Dondup and the group an old fable that parallel's Dondup's journey and quest for a better, more exciting life. The film then inter-cuts back and forth from Dondup's story to Tashi's story. Tashi (played by the charismatic Lhakpa Dorji) is a restless farm boy studying magic, who dreams of one day leaving his boring village. While having lunch with his younger brother, he unexpectedly embarks on a journey of his own where he meets an old recluse named Agay (Gomchen Penjore) and his beautiful, and much younger, wife Deki (Deki Yangzom). Soon, Tashi falls in love with Deki and soon they begin a secret affair. Here, the film turns almost noirish.

As the monk concludes Tashi's fable, Dondup is left with a dilemma — is the grass truly greener on the other side?

This film was the first feature to be made in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and was shot entirely in the Dzongkha dialect, which is the official language of Bhutan. Because few of the cast spoke this new language, most had to be taught by a dialect coach on-set. The cast does a terrific job and the performances are all excellent...all very natural. The standouts in the film are Tshewang Dendup and Lahakpa Dorji, the two protagonists. Though they go on similar journeys, both exemplify different personalities and both actors successfully establish their characters as human...likable yet flawed. My only complaint is that both their characters don't fully come to a full arc, more so for Dondup's character. Though i'm sure Norbu intended the audience to make their own conclusion to Dondup's journey of discovery. I think maybe Norbu created such great, dynamic characters, I didn't want their stories to end. I wanted to continue riding along on their journeys, curious to see what happens next.

The cinematography is stunning and Alan Kozlowski does a wonderful job at contrasting the different looks of Dondup's story and Tashi's cautionary tale. Dondup's world is a natural canvas that showcases the beautiful scenery of the Bhutan landscape. Tashi's world is darker and mystical, shot with dark blues and greens and soft lighting. The final scene at the creek of Tashi's story is absolutely breathtaking.

Highly recommended.

I saw this well over a month ago, and loved it so dearly that I find it hard to review. I've already recommended this to a ton of friends in person, and two have already reported back that they enjoyed it. If you are reading my reviews, and resonating with the films that I've rated highly, I politely urge you to seek out this film.

Indeed, it makes me want to seek out Bhutan. I'm trying to figure out how to get my family there. Travelling there is trickier than one might imagine, as I understand it only so many slots are available, but you pay a one-price-for-your-whole-visit. Amazing.

And this is an amazing film, and easier to experience than Bhutan itself. The director is a lama incarnate, but he's studied at the Pratt Institute. The film is gorgeous, and evidently portends of Norbu's desire to launch a Bhutanese film industry. The scenery is a major star, as we have a road film with not too much traveling. Sweeping vistas keep the people in perspective, and their problems as well. This road movie has plenty of sitting, and story-telling, and in the latter another more ancient road "movie" is unfurled. The cinematography in the latter swirls.

Just see the film...

Also, evidently the actors and actresses here are all amateurs, but so well-cast and so well-coaxed. The forest hermit's wife has a beauty in her way that exceeds the beauty of her form. The winking wisdom of the story-telling monk I suspect mirrors Norbu's own role.

As a "religious" film, "Travelers and Magicians" made a believer out of this agnostic. It doesn't look away or impose illusions when viewing people, their desires and mistakes are embraced. This is a warm film, without ever being smothering.

Imbued with humor and humility, artful in scope and cinescope, this film gets you to contemplate your mores, rather than have someone else's dogmatically driven into you.

You are the journey you must take, make sure to visit Bhutan on your way. Even if only on this screen of dreams.

9/10

A man who's just been given an important position in his village is still not satisfied with life. He dreams of a more prosperous life in America. So he starts his journey along with other travellers. This is a beguiling film full of marvellous wisdom that rings true for everyone. As the journey slowly continues one of the travellers tells a story within the story which is just as compelling as the real one. There's also some wonderful images of Bhutan that will make you wonder if it's possible to go there for your next vacation! Delightful.(8/10)

I did not find this film preachy or disappointing. You're seeing a Bhutanese film. What exactly did you expect?? I thought it was hilarious, the characters were fantastic, the story is a classic in any culture. It is particularly poignant, however, in a culture that has so far been largely untouched by the 'advances' of the outside world. The scenery was beautiful, of course, but the shots, the cinematography was also outstanding. The humour was subtle and clever. Having a real story, and a good secondary story, does not make it preachy in my opinion. It's a coming of age story, it's a love story. 'Foreign' does not necessarily mean it's a great film, but in this case, I think it works.

Dondup (Tsewang Dandup) is a Bhutanese government officer who has just been assigned to a small village. He's anxiously awaiting a letter from a friend in America. As soon as he receives it, he plans to meet his friend in Bhutan's capital, Timphu, and from there make his way to America, which he imagines of a land of great beauty and great opportunity, with "cool", beautiful women and an exciting lifestyle.

Extending from the premise, Travellers and Magicians becomes a combination of a road film and a grass-is-greener film. Dondup receives his letter, but partially due to cultural formalities and niceties, he misses the bus he needed to catch to make it to Timphu--a 2-day journey--on time. Increasingly agitated, he meets up with a humble apple-seller and a Buddhist monk on the road, and eventually two more people join the group. While they travel, the monk very gradually tells them a parallel story meant to serve as a parable, which we see enacted.

The structure and subgenres of the film provide a nice framework for two major, intertwined themes, both of them very Buddhist in nature. The subtler theme, most rooted in it being a road movie, is that of living in the moment, which is one aspect of mindfulness. The journey, here shown in a literal way, but also meant figuratively, is just as important as arriving at a destination. The more explicit theme, rooted in the grass-is-greener aspect, is a warning against the attachment to hopes, desires and dreams. Attachment is different than merely having hopes, desires and dreams. Attachment is a state where one stops being mindful of the here and now.

Dondup keeps dreaming about America. In his mind, he's already there, and his appearance and behavior evidence this. He talks of how beautiful it must be, yet Bhutan, which is on the edge of South-Central China, in the Himalayas, not too far from Mount Everest and Nepal, isn't short on beauty. Exquisite cinematography keeps us aware of this, and stresses how Dondup cannot see what is right in front of his face. He also dreams of the job he might hold in America--perhaps he'll be an apple-picker or dishwasher, he muses. But he has a relatively well-paid and certainly well-respected position in his culture. He dreams of the women in America, yet he runs into a very beautiful and elegant woman on his journey who is young, single and very attracted to him. The grass-is-greener theme even rears its head by Dondup trying to block out live music that's right in front of him (thanks to the Monk with a dramnyen, which is a bit like a guitar) by playing western music on a boom box.

At the same time, the parallel story told by the monk features a young man with similar dreams who inadvertently escapes to an unknown area where he too meets a beautiful woman who is attracted to him. The woman's husband has also achieved "the other side of the fence" in his grass-is-greener dream, but with the arrival of the young man, it backfires on him. Achieving the greener grass also ends up backfiring on the young man in a way, and he seeks a return home.

It's important to remember that in Buddhism, these ideas are not presented in moralizing way, and they're not presented as something black and white. Hopes, desires and dreams are not considered bad things (and neither is attachment--the problems with such things are more matter-of-factly presented), and certainly, the grass could be greener somewhere else. Because of this, Travellers and Magicians writer/director Khyentse Norbu maintains appropriate degrees of ambiguity throughout the film. While doing so, he presents a story with important themes that is captivatingly told with beautiful cinematography and excellent performances. Don't miss this one.