Travelers and Magicians 2005

As a young government official, Dondup (played by Tshewang Dendup) finds himself trapped in a picturesque yet isolated village, where his dreams of escaping to the United States (he’s even donned a denim gho) seem an impossible reality. His sole solace is the thought of connecting with the U.S. embassy and securing a visa out of the country. But fate has other plans, as he misses the one bus to Thimphu and is forced to embark on a perilous journey along the Lateral Road, accompanied by an eclectic ensemble: an apple seller, a wise Buddhist monk with his intricately carved dramyin heading to Thimphu, a reveler, a widowed rice paper maker, and her enigmatic daughter Sonam (played by Sonam Lhamo).

To pass the time on their arduous trek, the monk regales the group with the tale of Tashi, a restless farmboy who, like Dondup, yearns to break free from the constraints of village life. As Tashi rides his horse into the forest, he becomes lost in the remote mountains and finds himself entwined in the lives of an elderly hermit woodcutter and his beautiful young wife. Like Dondup, Tashi’s desire for escape is granted, but he soon finds himself ensnared in a web of passion and jealousy, captivated by the alluring and yielding wife, yet intimidated by the woodsman’s axe-wielding prowess. As Tashi’s guilt-ridden conscience begins to consume him, he attempts to murder the woodcutter, aided by his pregnant wife who is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her growing feelings for Tashi.

But just as it seems like Tashi’s tale will unfold in a tragic finale, the monk interrupts the narrative, revealing that Tashi’s adventures were merely the product of chhaang, a potent home-brewed liquor. The parallel drawn by the monk is striking: Dondup’s growing attraction to Sonam mirrors Tashi’s own ill-fated infatuation. As Dondup faces his own dilemma on the road to Thimphu, he must navigate a moral labyrinth reminiscent of Tashi’s, with the tantalizing prospect of securing a visa hanging precariously in the balance.

Ultimately, the film concludes without revealing the outcome of Dondup’s journey – whether he secures his visa and sets foot abroad or returns to the village forever changed. The audience is left to ponder the implications of Dondup’s odyssey: has it altered his perspective on the village and Bhutan, or will he return with a newfound appreciation for the beauty and simplicity of his homeland?