Samsara (2001 film)

For other uses, see Samsara (disambiguation).

Samsara
Promotional release poster
Directed by	Pan Nalin
Written by	Pan Nalin Tim Baker
Starring	Shawn Ku Christy Chung Neelesha BaVora
Music by	Cyril Morin Dadon
Production companies	Fandango Ocean Films Distribution Pandora Film Paradis Films
Distributed by	Ocean Films (France) Fandango (Italy)
Release date	2002
Running time	138 minutes
Countries	India Germany France Italy Switzerland
Languages	Tibetan Ladakhi

Samsara is a 2001 independent film directed and co-written by Pan Nalin. An international co-production of India, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, the film tells the story of a Buddhist monk's quest to find Enlightenment. It stars Shawn Ku as the monk Tashi, and Christy Chung as Pema.

Plot

Tashi began his training as a Buddhist monk at the age of five. Twenty years later, he emerges from a three-year solitary meditation, for which he is awarded the degree of khenpo by the rinpoche. When Tashi begins to have wet dreams, his relationships at the temple become strained. On an official visit, he stays with a farmer and meets Pema, the farmer's daughter. He leaves monastic life, returning to the farm, where he joins the migrant workers for the harvest. After another encounter with Pema, they marry. They later have a son, Karma.

The ex-lama becomes a farmer and landowner, becoming financially successful by bringing the harvest to the city instead of selling to the local merchant Dawa, who cheats the local farmers. This puts him at odds with Jamayang, Pema's former fiancee and local stonemason, who resents Tashi for damaging the long-standing relationship between the people of the valley and Dawa.

Tashi is at odds with his sexuality and an attraction to Sujata, a migrant worker who returns to the farm to labor each year. While Pema goes to the city to sell their harvest, he and Sujata have sex. He's told that this was something Sujata and Pema have talked about for years. His friend from his time as a lama comes to visit, and informs Tashi that their mentor, Apo, has died. Racked with guilt over his infidelity and the death of Apo, Tashi leaves the farm to return to the monastery.

Cast

• Shawn Ku as Tashi
• Christy Chung as Pema
• Neelesha Barthel as Sujata
• Lhakpa Tsering as Dawa
• Jamayang Jinpa as Sonam

External links

• Samsara at IMDb
• Samsara at AllMovie
• Samsara at Rotten Tomatoes
• Article on Pan Nalin Times of India