Samsara

Laos. Dozens of teenagers are living and studying together in Buddhist temples. A young man crosses the river every day to read a text to an elderly woman that serves as a guide for finding one’s way through the afterlife. When the woman dies, her spirit begins a sensory journey towards reincarnation in its next body. To complete the journey, you have to entrust yourself to be carried away by the sound and light.
In this conversation held on the border between life, death and meditation, Lois Patiño continues his exploration of the image as an immersive experience. As in a film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation coincides with the experience of watching. The act of seeing and of telling stories becomes a unique visionary experience that literally leads the viewer into another dimension.
by Lois Patiño
with Amid Keomany, Toumor Xiong, Simone Milavanh, Mariam Vuaa Mtego, Juwairiya Idrisa Uwesu
Spain 2023 Lao, Swahili 113’ Colour

With

  • Amid Keomany (Amid)
  • Toumor Xiong (Be Ann)
  • Simone Milavanh (Mon)
  • Mariam Vuaa Mtego (Mariam)
  • Juwairiya Idrisa Uwesu (Juwairiya)

Crew

Director Lois Patiño
Screenplay Lois Patiño, Garbiñe Ortega
Cinematography Mauro Herce, Jessica Sarah Rinland
Editing Lois Patiño
Sound Design Xabier Erkizia
Sound Xabier Erkizia
Production Managers Claudia Salcedo, Garbiñe Ortega
Producer Leire Apellaniz
Executive Producers Claudia Salcedo, Garbiñe Ortega

World sales

Produced by

Señor y Señora

Lois Patiño

Born in Vigo, Spain in 1983, he studied psychology at the Complutense University in Madrid and then film at the city’s Centro Universitario de Artes (TAI) and at the New York Film Academy. He completed his film education with a master’s in creative documentary at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. In collaboration with other artists, he has developed video art workshops and installations at institutions including the Berlin University of the Arts. His second feature film Lúa vermella (Red Moon Tide) premiered in the 2020 Berlinale Forum and went on to screen in MoMA and at over 50 festivals.

Filmography

2012 Montaña en sombra (Mountain in Shadow); short film, experimental · Montaña en sombra (Mountain in Shadow); short film · Na vibración (Into Vibration); short film 2013 Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) · Costa da morte (Coast of Death); documentary · La imagen arde; short film 2015 Noite sem distância (Night Without Distance); short film · Estratos de la imagen (Strata of the Image); short film, experimental · Noite sem distância (Night Without Distance); short film 2017 Fajr; short film 2016 Fajr; short film, experimental 2020 Lúa vermella (Red Moon Tide) · Lúa vermella (Red Moon Tide) 2021 Sycorac; short film · Sycorac; short film 2022 El sembrador de estrellas (The Sower of Stars); short film · El sembrador de estrellas (The Sower of Stars); short film, experimental 2023 Samsara

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023