SAMSARA

Every morning, a Buddhist teenager visits an elderly woman’s home to read her The Bardo Thödol, a guide for the journey between death and the next rebirth. On her last day, the boy whispers the book’s final passages in her ear, closes his eyes, and meditates alongside her, as she embarks on a transformative journey into what lies beyond.

LOIS PATINJO / LOIS PATIÑO

Lois Patiño (1983) studied psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid and then filmmaking at the city’s Centro Universitario de Artes and at the New York Film Academy. He completed his studies with a master’s degree in creative documentary at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He has shown his films at festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno, Toronto, Rotterdam, New York, IDFA and Oberhausen. His works Sycorac (2021) and The Sower of Stars (2022) have premiered at the Director’s Fortnight of Cannes and Berlinale Shorts, and his two feature films Costa da Morte (2013) and Red Moon Tide (2020) premiered at Locarno and Berlinale Forum. His last feature Samsara (2023) premiered at Berlinale Encounters, winning Special Jury Award.

 

Reveiws:

Patiño presents his most narrative and dynamic yet radical film, a experiment that invites the audience to experience it with their eyes closed.

Alfonso Rivera, Cineuropa