State of Statelessness
Synopsis
In each of these four distinct and compelling stories, characters are either waiting to leave or yearning to return, stuck in a bardo – the state of limbo central to Tibetan Buddhism – that keeps shifting the ground beneath their feet. United by displacement, the Drung Tibetan Filmmakers’ Collective – whose stories bridge India, America, and Vietnam – tell of estranged sisters reuniting over loss, old relationships warped by distance, and a homecoming that leads to the discovery of a buried family secret. In these personal and emotionally complex tales, tradition – in the form of the ancient Buddhist art form of thangka painting, momos, and rituals – meets everyday myth-making.
Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.
Special Guests
Ritu Sarin is an Indian film director, producer and artist based in Dharamshala. Partners and co-directors, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam have been working together for more than thirty years. Their documentaries have shown at numerous international film festivals. Their Tibertan feature film Dreaming Lhasa (2005) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and their most recent work, The Sweet Requiem, premiered at TIFF in 2018. The pair are founding directors of the Dharamshala International Film Festival.
Tenzing Sonam is a Tibetan film director, writer and essayist based in Dharamshala. Partners and co-directors, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam have been working together for more than thirty years. Their documentaries have shown at numerous major international film festivals. Their Tibertan feature film Dreaming Lhasa (2005) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and their most recent work, The Sweet Requiem, premiered at TIFF in 2018. The pair are founding directors of the Dharamshala International Film Festival.
Tickets
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Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
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