Shambhala

Nepal’s cinema industry isn’t huge and rarely makes it outside its own borders. As such, it’s marvellous to see such a beautiful-looking movie that was not only selected for a huge international film festival, but was chosen for the Berlinale’s prestigious competition section. It’s not a film intended as an educational presentation for ignorant foreigners who know little about the country, but this is a happy by-product of watching Shambhala.

Deep in the Himalayas, Pema (Thinley Lhamo) has several husbands in a polyandrous marriage. Her fairly placid life is interrupted after one of her husbands goes missing, apparently disappearing into the wilderness in outrage after Pema is allegedly impregnated by a man outside her marriage. Joined by the gruff young monk Karma (Sonam Topden), Pema sets off to find her missing man, equipped with little more than the truth.

The small storytelling flaws of Shambhala are gently self-correcting, and this is mostly an early issue with pacing. Several scenes are allowed to unfold at their own relaxed pace – with takes unnecessarily playing out as though someone in the editing department forgot to press the stop button. This minor irritation largely disappears as the film progresses, and by the time Pema and Karma leave civilisation behind, a viewer is legitimately invested in their journey and its outcome.

Director Min Bahadur Bham has rather smartly set his feature in a landscape where he could aim his camera in any direction and capture something almost unspeakably beautiful. It’s a truly gorgeous-looking movie with stakes that feel high despite being highly personal. The sparse nature of the narrative could make it too withdrawn for some viewers, but it pays off for those willing to commit. Although the pacing does detract from the overall effectiveness of the piece, there’s an exquisite two-hour story somewhere inside this two-and-a-half-hour film.

Oliver Johnston

Shambhala does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival 2024 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.