9 Temples to Heaven 9 วัด สู่สวรรค์ Panorama
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About
Canadian Premiere
Making his fiction feature debut, Sompot Chidgasornpongse tells a story of love, duty, and faith in present-day Thailand. Matriarch Saluay (Amara Ramnarong) is growing tired and sickly, and her middle-aged son Sakul (Surachai Ningsanond) fears his mother may be nearing her final days. Taking advice from his boss, Sakul leads his family on a mission: to visit nine Buddhist temples in one day, where Saluay will “make merit” through offerings of money and consumer goods. But as Saluay grows increasingly exhausted, conflict arises, and the value of religious tradition comes into question.
Chidgasornpongse’s film begins as a work of lighthearted realism and builds toward something profound. Along the way are humorous encounters, intimations of unease, and moments of deep sadness as the film grows in stature. Poised, congenial, and ultimately rapturous, 9 Temples to Heaven is a family drama that dares to strike mystical chords.
Making his fiction feature debut, Sompot Chidgasornpongse tells a story of love, duty, and faith in present-day Thailand. Matriarch Saluay (Amara Ramnarong) is growing tired and sickly, and her middle-aged son Sakul (Surachai Ningsanond) fears his mother may be nearing her final days. Taking advice from his boss, Sakul leads his family on a mission: to visit nine Buddhist temples in one day, where Saluay will “make merit” through offerings of money and consumer goods. But as Saluay grows increasingly exhausted, conflict arises, and the value of religious tradition comes into question.
Chidgasornpongse’s film begins as a work of lighthearted realism and builds toward something profound. Along the way are humorous encounters, intimations of unease, and moments of deep sadness as the film grows in stature. Poised, congenial, and ultimately rapturous, 9 Temples to Heaven is a family drama that dares to strike mystical chords.
