Direction: Min Bahadur Bham
Country: Nepal / China / other
The fourth feature by Nepalese filmmaker Min Bahadur Bham is a lovely, feminist, and evocative work set in a small Tibetan Himalayan village, where modesty becomes its greatest strength. This finely tuned drama, told with gentle intimacy, follows Pema (Thinley Lhamo), a joyful bride whose life unravels after rumors circulate that she betrayed her beloved farmer husband, Tashi (Tenzin Dalha). In their culture, polyandry is customary—by marrying Tashi, she also became the wife of his two brothers: Karma (Sonam Topden), a devoted monk, and Dawa (Karma Wangyal Gurung), still just a boy. Determined to clear her name and preserve her honor, Pema sets out across the frozen mountains to find Tashi.
Shambhala lingers at times, but its minimalist narrative is as hypnotically captivating as it is culturally significant. It unfolds as a melancholic yet entrancing Himalayan ballad about the intricacies of human relationships and the preciousness of ancient traditions. The sweeping mountain vistas and delicate musical passages imbue the film with a quiet magnetism, while Lhamo’s grounded, deeply felt performance roots it in authenticity. The result is a work that expresses gratitude for life, stirs emotion from within, and offers a final, liberating sense of release.
