9 Temples to Heaven

9 Temples to Heaven is a beautiful and hypnotic film about a one-day family pilgrimage.

Sakol hears a prophecy from a fortune teller that his elderly mother may die soon. He corrals three generations of his family to visit nine temples in succession, overcoming personal worries and generational conflict to offer tributes at each one. A gentle, patiently revelatory drama ensues, taking the viewer on a tour of stunning Thai architecture and celebrating magical everyday moments of transcendence.

“When 9 Temples to Heaven enters into a more metaphysical realm, blurring the lines between the living and the dead, that it truly disarms its audience. By the final shot of a temple after a funeral service, you’d be forgiven to question whether the singing came from a voice recording or a ghost.” — Anzhe Zhang, Slant Magazine