In moonlight reflected on a remote mountain lake, the lime and lemon tinted steppes and snowy mountain twilight of Tibet, there is a thin line between what is magic and what is real. A mountain man, Tabei, is revived from the dead and sent on a quest to return a sacred Dzi bead and revive his troubled soul in the process. The road he must travel, in his heart as well as the mountains, is plagued by demons. To make matters worse, Tabei is pursued by treasure hunters with eyes on the Dzi bead and brothers bent on revenge for their father's death at the hands of Tabei's father. Fortunately for Tabei, there are protective figures along these roads as well as demented ones. Tabei's epic route of self-discovery and heart cleansing, connects him with the beautiful landscape, people, stories and invisible worlds of Tibet.
The film crew captured the fantastic Tibetan landscape footage from camping in the wilderness. The remote scenery is very impressive and beautiful. The attractive actors in colorful traditional garb are wondrously illuminated in soft and natural light. Some of the scenes, a campfire on a moonlit mountain lake in particular, were irresistibly resplendent and made me long to visit the settings. Despite some awkward transitions and acting, and a little personal confusion about Tibetan culture, Soul on a String is lyrical and gorgeous to witness. Seen at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.
