Travellers and Magicians (2003)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Khyentse Norbu

Writer:

Khyentse Norbu (writer)

Release Date:

21 April 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Adventure

Tagline:

The bitter and the sweet of temporary things

Plot:

The two men embark on parallel, if separate, journeys. Their yearning is a common one--for a better and different life...

Plot Keywords:

Monk | Bhutan | Story In Story | Buddhist | Road Trip

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Tsewang Dandup	...	Dondup
Sonam Lhamo	...	Sonam
Lhakpa Dorji	...	Tashi
Deki Yangzom	...	Deki
Sonam Kinga	...	The Monk
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorji Budha	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Sanga Budha	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Sumcho Budha	...	Kinzang Wangchuk
Nim Buthri	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Aum Chenzom	...	Girl in Field
Sonam Choepel	...	Magic Student
Neten Chokling	...	Bus Driver
Lam Dawup	...	Magic Student
Chhmi Dem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Kinzang Dem	...	Villlager of Chendebaji
Phub Dem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Phuchu Dem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Thinley Dem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Lama Yeshi Dendup	...	Magic Student
Ap Dochu	...	Appleman
Phunstsho Domia	...	Phallus Handlers
Dechen Dorjee	...	Drunk Man
Namgay Dorjee	...	Karma
Donam Dorji	...	Sedan Passenger
Goley Dorji	...	Villlager of Chendebji
Mani Dorji	...	Archer
Pelden Dorji	...	Magic Student
Pem Dorji	...	Archer
Phub Dorji	...	Villager of Chendebji
Samdrup Dorji	...	Tata Truck Driver
Tshering Dorji	...	Postmaster
Ugyen Dorji	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Dasho Yeshi Droji	...	Phallus Handlers
Jigme Drukpa	...	Phunsok
Gup Kado Duba	...	Squinting Man
Gangchu	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Gurula	...	Post Runner
Venerable Lungtaen Gyatso	...	Magic Teacher
Nim Gyeltshen	...	Archer
Aum Daw Gyem	...	Girl in Field
Gyemo	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Phub Gyem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Thinley Gyem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Lt. Col. Dasho Kado	...	Village Head
Karma	...	Tenzin Wangmo
Dasho Bato Karp	...	Farmer
Kinlem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Choki Lahm	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Lemo	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Kelzang Lhadon	...	Girl in Field
Sangay Lhamo	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Tenzing Lham	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Tshoki Lham	...	Nidup Lham
Lungten	...	Bus Passenger
Apa Mindu	...	Tractor Operator
Nimchu	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Kezang Norbu	...	Sedan Driver
Mangi Ap Norbu	...	Archer
Sonam Norbu	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Tadin Norbu	...	Tractor Passenger
Tandin Norbu	...	Sonam Norbu
Wandchuk Norbu	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Khandu Om	...	Ugyen Dorji
Sithar Om	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Pelzang	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Dorji Pem	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Gomchen Penjore	...	Agay
Sithay Pern	...	Phub Dern
Ugyen Pern	...	Tobgayla
Tsampa Tshering Phuntsho	...	Magic Student
Rinzinia	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Phub Rinzin	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Dasho Adab Sangye	...	Sonam's Father
Phub Sangye	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Karma Sherub	...	Bus Passenger
Chogye Sithup	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Sumcho	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Sumda	...	Villager of Chendebji
Dophu Tashi	...	Nim Buthri
Nim Tashi	...	Archer
Gyem Tenzin	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Phub Thinley	...	Phallus Singer
Tenzin Thinley	...	Magic Student
Pemba Tshering	...	Archer
Ugyen Tshomo	...	Beetlenut Lady
Villagers of Chendebji	...	Phallus Handlers
Kinzang Wanchuk	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Pema Wangchuck	...	Bus Passenger
Wangchuk	...	Archer
Jigme Wangchuk	...	Bus Passenger
Ugyen Wangchuk	...	Tractor Driver
Kencho Wangmo	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Kezang Wangmo	...	Pelzang
Kinzang Wangmo	...	Thinley Dern
Sangay Wangmo	...	Phub Gyem
Taza Wangmo	...	Phuchu Dern
Tenzin Wangmo	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Thinley Wangmo	...	Villlager of Chendebaji
Tshering Wangmo	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Tshering Yangchen	...	Village Lady
Karma Yangki	...	Rice Girl
Chhimi Zam	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Dorji Zam	...	Gangchu
Kinley Zam	...	Villager of Chendebaji
Norbu Zangmo	...	Pem Dorji
Tendi Zangmo	...	Girl in Field

Also Known As:

Travelers and Magicians (USA)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Australia | Bhutan

Language:

Dzongkha

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | South Korea:12 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Bhutan

Company:

Prayer Flag Pictures

Trivia:

First film to be shot in Bhutan, the Himalayan nation/kingdom that was prototype for Lost Horizon (1937).

Quotes:

Drunk Man: So, where are you and your friends going?
The Monk: [pointing to the appleman] Well, he and I, to Thimphu.
[pointing to Dondup]
The Monk: That one, to a dreamland.
Drunk Man: A dreamland? I want to go too.
The Monk: Looks like you're already there.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Getaway: (#15.37)" (2006)

Journeys and Green Grass

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.