Pan Nalin | Back to Movies

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Year of release: 2006
Director: Pan Nalin
Writers: Pan Nalin, Sarah Besan Shennib, Anurag Kashyap
Starring: Milind Soman, Mylene Jampanoi, Nasseruddin Shah, etc.

For more information on “Valley of Flowers”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

General impression:
From the Himalayas to Tokyo, this story unfolds at the collision point of two realms, exploring topics such as the human condition, reincarnation, and demons. Many of my favorite childhood stories were Asian, and watching “Valley of Flowers” (and Pan Nalin’s other excelent movie, “Samsara”) felt like reading those stories again, only upgraded to mesmerize the adult version of me. It is a story about balance, about how some things work their course and laws, not depending on our will or attempts to trick their natural order. It is also a beautiful love story, loaded with magic and adventure, the story of two bandit lovers who tried to steal their right to be together. How do you steal what you can’t have?

Highlights:
It’s flawless. You may like it or not, but it truly is a flawless artistic film, beyond the subjectivity of personal taste.

Downside:
The rating on IMDb is a joke and should not be taken seriously. This movie deserves a much wider audience and a louder recognition.

Would I see it again? – Yes, regularly

My Rating (1 to 10): 10

Recommended: Highly

Suggestion:
I’m not sure it works as a purely entertaining movie. Make sure you’re in the mood for thinking and dreaming, before you watch it.

Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2001
Director: Pan Nalin
Writers: Pan Nalin (story & screenplay), Tim Baker (screenplay)
Starring: Shawn Ku, Cristy Chung, etc.

For more information on “Samsara”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

General impression:
“How can one prevent a drop of water from ever drying up?” If you want to know the answer, watch this wonderful movie. After I saw “Samsara”, it took me a while to stop weeping. I loved it immensely and felt that I understood it completely, in a way that transcends words. It is not primarily about enlightenment (although it may seem otherwise). It’s a story about the essence of life as a human being, the loop of physical life with its ups, downs, good, bad, truth, illusions, happiness and sorrow. It shows in beautiful imagery and smart dialogues that, on the road to enlightenment, one has to consume and digest the mundane, experience its spectrum of emotions. Tashi may not become a Buddha in his present body, but he gets his answers about life as we know it. The circle is full. On to the next? 🙂

Highlights:
It’s perfect in every aspect and its consistency is a rarity.

Downside:
What downside?!

Would I see it again? – Yes, regularly

My Rating (1 to 10): 10

Recommended: Yes! Highly!

Suggestion:
Watch it when you’re up for giving life a thought… a deep thought.

Valley of Flowers

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Samsara

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