Samsara

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Samsara

2023

1h 54m

Drama

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100%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

40%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Every morning, a Buddhist teenager visits an elderly woman’s home to read her The Bardo Thödol, a guide for the journey between death and the next rebirth. On her last day, the young man whispers the book's final passages in her ear, closes his eyes, and meditates alongside her, as she embarks on a transformative journey into what lies beyond.

Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

The film exemplifies Lois Patiño’s ongoing efforts to complicate docufiction approaches with otherworldly reveries meant to communicate states beyond our immediate reality.

Rated: 3/4

May 26, 2024

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

It is unfairly facetious – but irresistible – to note that, in another era, Samsara would have played to the sweet scents of hand-rolled smokables. And nobody would have asked for their money back.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 31, 2024

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Part film, part guided meditation, it’s unlike anything else you can experience in the cinema.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 28, 2024

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s influence infuses deeply but delicately into Samsara, Lois Patiño’s lyrical and poetic Buddhism-focussed film.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 3, 2024

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Pat Mullen

POV Magazine

The afterlife may perhaps be the most impossible subject for a documentary to capture. And yet Lois Patiño has done it with Samsara.

Jul 2, 2024

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Dustin Chang

Floating World

In his new film Samsara, filmmaker/visual artist Lois Patiño channels the Tibetan Book of the Dead via Apichatpong Weerasethakul

May 7, 2024

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Aleksandra M

me: cant wait to see the movie movie screen: close your eyes now me: ...ok

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/24

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John D

an existential documentary about meaning of life and death and rebirth. At some level was interesting and at other levels annoying and irritating, especially the 15 minutes of nonstop flashing but nothing else.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

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DuÅ¡an A

Some nice shots, but it did not achieve the desired effect of meditation/memento mori

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

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Lois Patiño

Director

Toumor Xiong

Be Ann

Amid Keomany

Amid

Simone Milavanh

Mon

Juwairiya Idrisa Uwesu

Juwairiya

Mariam Vuaa Mtego

Mariam

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Synopsis

Every morning, a Buddhist teenager visits an elderly woman’s home to read her The Bardo Thödol, a guide for the journey between death and the next rebirth. On her last day, the young man whispers the book's final passages in her ear, closes his eyes, and meditates alongside her, as she embarks on a transformative journey into what lies beyond.

Director: Lois Patiño
Producer: Leire Apellaniz
Screenwriter: Lois Patiño, Garbiñe Ortega, Lois Patiño, Garbiñe Ortega
Production Co: Sr&Sra
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Lao
Runtime: 1h 54m