9 Temples to Heaven

An extended family go on a religious pilgrimage and navigate their interpersonal dramas along the way in this deeply personal reflection on modern Thailand.

When Sakol hears an unsettling, weirdly specific prophecy about his ageing mother’s imminent death, he springs into action. Knowing that nine is a fortuitous number in Thai culture, he bundles the same amount of family members into a mini-van to visit nine temples in one day. It’s an ambitious attempt to cultivate enough karma for “Grandma” to find a peaceful afterlife, but things don’t go as planned. As three generations of family members squabble over religion and personal responsibility, and they encounter a mix of genuinely kind and commercially opportunistic monks, Sakol’s grand plan starts to feel like a futile undertaking. As the day comes to an end, will his faith finally be rewarded?

Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s debut, the documentary Railways Sleepers (MIFF 2017), bunked down with passengers taking long-distance train rides across Thailand. His second feature – and first venture into fiction – is a beautifully observed portrait of the relationship between religious tradition and capitalist society, drawing from personal experiences of his own family pilgrimages to Buddhist temples. Produced by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, on whose own films Sompot regularly worked as an assistant, and premiering at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, 9 Temples to Heaven is a sensitive, involving saga.

Content: Melbourne International Film Festival