Pig at the Crossing

"Pig at the Crossing," directed by Khyentse Norbu, is a deeply moving film that intertwines Buddhist themes of karma, impermanence, and self-realization. The story follows Dolom, who finds himself in a surreal, intermediate state after an accident, reflecting the Buddhist concept of the bardo. His journey to confront past actions and detach from former identities echoes core Buddhist teachings on karma and letting go of attachments. This beautifully crafted film is not only a compelling narrative but also a profound spiritual exploration, resonating with both Buddhist practitioners and general audiences.

Congratulations to our Big Boss and Druksel for this outstanding movie.

Ekdam Aag laga dala bro, Aag laga dala 🔥🔥🔥

I wish my writing was better. If you want to understand what death and dying is, watch this movie and if you still want to learn more on this topic, read his book, Living is Dying.

"In Living Is Dying, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse presents us with everything we need to face death calmly and confidently. Each stage of the dying process is described in detail, along with clear, practical advice about how to guide the dying through the bardos and into the next life. Rinpoche also addresses many common questions, such as: How honest should we be with the dying? How should we talk about death to someone who has no spiritual beliefs? How do we help someone who is already dead?

Regardless of your spiritual preferences and beliefs-or lack of them-if you are coming to terms with the imminent death of a loved one, your own death, or if you work with the dying, Living Is Dying will help prepare you to meet death consciously, soberly and with a mind full of compassion."

This film is undoubtedly worth watching as it presents us with a fascinating story from a region we are unfamiliar with. However, the merits in its concept alone are not enough to make this film truly outstanding. Although I enjoy this film, I would like to offer my personal perspective here.

First of all, the visual language of this film feels somewhat disjointed and monotonous. The very first shot is a long take, but please forgive my bluntness-I find this long take to be rather unsuccessful, with a significant lack of information. This results in the audience finding it difficult to become immersed in the story from the beginning. The transition between the scenes where the protagonist is cycling and making a phone call to a lover is also handled too abruptly. I noticed that some viewers have described this film as anti-academic, but in my opinion, its visual language is actually quite academic and rigid.

Moreover, from my personal perspective, this film has a fatal flaw: the audience becomes aware of the protagonist's death far too early, while the protagonist realizes this much later. As a result, the protagonist spends too much time in a state of meaningless wandering (yes, I understand that this was intentional on the director's part, but it was overdone). Given this discrepancy, to put it simply, the film ends up feeling unnecessarily long.

It's never a "politically correct" film, it's a story about after life, and in between lives. It's deep and subtle, drama less in an abstract dramatic way. Who else still value a film's educational messages in this world and those "academic" film festivals? The director made it smooth and peaceful way trying the express "reincarnation", which probably the western world has culturally difficulty for understanding. The journey of watching this film feels like a dream. A dream can also as known as a "bardo", it's definitely a film makes you thinking. It's sophisticated and beautifully made. Best Bhutanese movie!