Movie Details:
| Countries | Nepal France Norway Hong Kong Turkey Taiwan United States Qatar |
| Language | Tibetan Nepali |
| Genre | Drama |
| Release dates | Germany: February 23, 2024 (Berlin International Film Festival) Australia: June 13, 2024 (Sydney Film Festival) Czech Republic: June 28, 2024 (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival) Switzerland: August 12, 2024 (Locarno Film Festival) September 13, 2024 (Nepal) |
| Running time | 2hr 30min |
| Certificate | PG |
| Starring | Thinley Lhamo Sonam Topden Tenzing Dalha |
| Directed by | Min Bahadur Bham |
| Written by | Min Bahadur Bham Abinash Bikram Shah |
| Produced by | Debaki Rai Justine O. Bibhakar Sunder Shakya Shuk Fong Chong Verona Meier Catherine Dussart Zeynep Koray |
| Cinematography by | Aziz Zhambakiev |
| Edited by | Ching-Sung Liao Kiran Shrestha |
| Music by | Nhyoo Bajracharya |
| Production Design by | Ramlal Khadka |
| Production Companies | Shooney Films CDP Ape&Bjørn Aaru Production ZK Film, Istanbul Yi Tiao Long Hu Bao Bangdel & Shakya Production |
| Distributor | Epicentre Films (France) |
Cast & Characters:
- Thinley Lhamo as Pema
- Sonam Topden as Karma
- Tenzing Dalha as Tashi
- Karma Wangyal Gurung as Dawa
- Karma Shakya as Ram Sir
- Loten Namling as Rinpoche
- Tsering Choden as Pema’s Mother
- Choney Gurung as Grandmother
- Phurba Tsepten Gurung as Pema’s Father
- Tsering Lhamo Gurung as Tashi’s Friend’s Wife
- Tsering Choeble Towa as Tashi’s Friend
Storyline:
In a Himalayan polyandrous village, pregnant PEMA faces scrutiny as her husband vanishes. With her monk brother-in-law, her de facto spouse, she seeks him in the wild, unraveling her self-discovery along the journey
About Movie:
Shambhala is an international co-production drama film directed by Min Bahadur Bham, who co-wrote the screenplay with Abinash Bikram Shah. The film stars Thinley Lhamo, Tenzin Dalha, and Sonam Topden in key roles.
It is the international co-production between Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, China, Turkey, Taiwan, the USA, and Qatar.
The film was shot in the Upper Dolpo region of the Himalayas, situated between Nepal and Tibet. This area is one of the highest human settlements in the world, located at altitudes ranging from 4,200 to 6,000 meters above sea level.
Shambhala was selected for the Competition at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the prestigious Golden Bear, with its first screening on 23 February 2024 at Berlinale Palast.
In January 2024, Brussels-based Best Friend Forever acquired the sales rights of the film.
Shambhala was featured in the ‘Features’ section of the 71st Sydney Film Festival on June 13, 2024. The film was also screened in the ‘Horizons’ section at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on June 28, 2024, and showcased at Piazza Grande during the 77th Locarno Film Festival on August 12, 2024. It is set to be screened in the ‘Vanguard’ section at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival on October 2, 2024, and will be presented in the ‘Strands: Journey’ section of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2024.
Shambhala was released theatrically in Nepan on September 13, 2024 (Bhadra 28, 2081).
Shambhala is the first Nepali feature film to compete at a major international festival and the first South Asian film in three decades to enter the main competition at the Berlin International Film Festival. Additionally, the film was selected as Nepal’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
