Edition 2023
113'
-
2023
-
Drama, Avant-Garde / Experimental
-
Dialogue:
Lao, Swahili
A truly enchanting trip, Samsara depicts the Buddhist concept of birth, life, death and rebirth in a sensory way. A film somewhere between dream and reality, documentary and fiction, countries and bodies.
What connects a Buddhist woman in Laos with a Muslim girl in Zanzibar? Awarded the Special Jury Prize in the Encounters section at the Berlinale, Samsara transforms the cycle of life from Eastern faith into an enriching cinematic experience beyond the confines of reality. It's a beautiful and extraordinary journey guided by the Tibetan book of the dead and the warm orange of the monks' robes captured on 16mm film. Visual artist Lois Patiño interweaves the power of fiction and documentary to help us look with our eyes closed, resulting in a film that is spiritually connected with the work of directors Michelangelo Frammartino (Le quattro volte) and Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Memoria). "Dreams tell us such beautiful stories", the character of the old woman attests. When you wake up from this dream, you will leave the theatre reborn.
“A mystical experience that begins in Laos and transports viewers to Zanzibar in Tanzania. [...] Patiño masterfully interweaves impressionistic moments with a loose narrative structure, blending fiction and documentary filmmaking, as well as the mundane and the transcendental.” - Screen Anarchy
Image gallery
![D91912ce e82e 4024 8ce8 b8b06e8d30b9](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2Fd91912ce-e82e-4024-8ce8-b8b06e8d30b9.jpg%3Fv%3D1694099749?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=4ee78743d15860a4131cea31c9ecb996)
![Db35fa44 20f3 41cd 9617 144d10793c1f](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2Fdb35fa44-20f3-41cd-9617-144d10793c1f.jpg%3Fv%3D1695777467?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=1e552de6709a4067e5d50c23df5bab1d)
![F856277c 0d57 435a a973 0abe7f3fadb6](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2Ff856277c-0d57-435a-a973-0abe7f3fadb6.jpg%3Fv%3D1695777468?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=f83c7cfb06a35052760037891de6b553)
![B8e9bf30 a752 4859 a58c ca73d19b28ca](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2Fb8e9bf30-a752-4859-a58c-ca73d19b28ca.jpg%3Fv%3D1695777469?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=ed4ce2b7c660789e2564256f460fb42b)
![490a1043 acbe 4bd2 8f1e 9f3c8e5cb1b3](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2F490a1043-acbe-4bd2-8f1e-9f3c8e5cb1b3.jpg%3Fv%3D1695777466?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=dac612cdcdb375ec098883ddc7f7bf76)
![C4d01ef9 558a 4671 9c90 ca8042c41b7c](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2Fc4d01ef9-558a-4671-9c90-ca8042c41b7c.jpg%3Fv%3D1695777464?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=9bf5fa0d97ac0cf33463f59858767cec)
![D8e9a92d 3576 4f49 ac25 bf9e7e6a3656](https://filmfest.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmfestival.be%2Fvolumes%2Fgeneral%2Fd8e9a92d-3576-4f49-ac25-bf9e7e6a3656.jpg%3Fv%3D1695777465?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=clip&q=80&w=600&s=31f2df9ffec831e94b8599b5d4151366)
Credits
Directors
Lois Patiño
Cast
Amid Keomany, Toumor Xiong, Simone Milavanh
Scenario
Lois Patiño, Garbiñe Ortega
Director of Photography
Mauro Herce, Jessica Sarah Rinland
Editors
Lois Patiño
Producers
Leire Apellllaniz
Production studios
Sr&Sra
Distributor
Mooov Distributie
More info
Dialogue
Lao, Swahili
Countries of production
Spain
Year
2023
Filmography
Lois Patiño
Mountain in Shadow (short 2012), Coast of Death (2013), La imagen arde (short, 2013), Night Without Distance (short, 2015), Strata of the Image (short, 2015), Fajr (short, 2017), The Path of Totality (short, 2018), Red Moon Tide (2020), Sycorax (short, 2021), The Sower of Stars (short, 2022), Samsara (2023)