Travelers and Magicians

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Travelers and Magicians

Released Dec 31, 2004

1h 47m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

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61 Reviews

83%

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1,000+ Ratings

Bored with life in his tiny village, Dondup (Tsewang Dandup), a Bhutanese official infatuated with American culture, dreams of visiting the United States. On the road to Thimphu, a major city where he hopes to obtain a visa, Dondup befriends a mismatched group of travelers, including a monk (Sonam Kinga). As the trip proceeds, the monk tells his new friends about Tashi (Lhakpa Dorji), a fictional young man whose dissatisfaction leads to his undoing.

Critics Consensus

Interwined tales of spiritual discovery are set against a gorgeous, evocative landscape in this pleasant, engaging import.

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Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

Pretty enough, but one kind of hopes for a little magic in a movie with "magicians" in its title.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 29, 2005

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Philip Wuntch

Dallas Morning News

It's a leisurely yet resonant film that reinforces the power of cinematic storytelling.

Rated: B+

Apr 7, 2005

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

The Himalayan scenery, majestic mountains, and verdant valleys are as breathtaking and well-shot as one could hope for.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 20, 2005

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Siddhant Adlakha

Slashfilm

Travelers and Magicians is deeply affecting. It plays, in itself, like an act of reconciliation, arriving at answers that seek not to bridge impossible physical and cultural gaps, but to guide one as they navigate the journey between them.

Jul 12, 2019

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Dorothy Woodend

The Tyee (British Columbia)

This is a film infused with easy joy, the happiness of sitting in the sun and eating an apple.

Aug 24, 2017

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John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews

For Norbu, filmmaking has become his form of thangka painting

Rated: B

Oct 18, 2008

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david l

Travellers and Magicians deals with the question of whether or not grass really is greener on the other side. It approaches this eternal struggle with an open mind and it only solidifies the difficulty in this decision with that strongly ambiguous ending. The episodic structure was problematic here and that tale being told at the center of the movie took too much screen time from the main storyline, but still the film is nuanced, thematically rich and even spiritual in its tone.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

An exceptionally convincing advertisement for Bhutan. Two incredibly anti-climactic stories. "Pleasant and often beautiful." "Refreshingly quiet and thoughtful." "It's a leisurely yet resonant film that reinforces the power of cinematic storytelling." "For Norbu, filmmaking has become his form of thangka painting"

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent !! I love it. The mix between the recent and the past time it's marvellously done in that movie and make sense! The images are beautiful. I like Asiatic Characters..

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

S L O W!!!! Beautiful scenery...great wisdom tidbits....but very very S L O W

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

'Travellers & Magicians' is a beautiful spiritual journey that every film lover has to take....:)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

go, bhutanese cinema, go **

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Khyentse Norbu

Director

Lhakpa Dorji

Tashi

Sonam Kinga

The Monk

Sonam Lhamo

Sonam

Deki Yangzom

Deki

Gomchen Penjore

Agay

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Synopsis

Bored with life in his tiny village, Dondup (Tsewang Dandup), a Bhutanese official infatuated with American culture, dreams of visiting the United States. On the road to Thimphu, a major city where he hopes to obtain a visa, Dondup befriends a mismatched group of travelers, including a monk (Sonam Kinga). As the trip proceeds, the monk tells his new friends about Tashi (Lhakpa Dorji), a fictional young man whose dissatisfaction leads to his undoing.

Director: Khyentse Norbu
Producer: Raymond Steiner, Malcolm Watson
Screenwriter: Khyentse Norbu
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Production Co: Prayer Flag Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Dzongkha
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 31, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $505.3K
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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