Cennete 9 Tapınak

Thailand | DCP, Color, 140 minutes | Thai, English.

Director: Sompot Chidgasornpongse

Cast: Yada Karnjanisakorn, Sompop Songkampol.

Sixty-three-year-old Sakol learns, through a prophecy, that his mother has little time left to live. Determined to extend her life and earn merit, he decides that the entire family must visit nine temples in a single day. The family of nine piles into two minivans, embarking on this spiritual journey from sunrise to sunset. As they travel, generational differences in belief and old resentments gradually surface. However, when the mother, the central figure of the journey, becomes increasingly tired and stops entering the temples, the rest of the family is forced to question the meaning of the ritual and what it means to continue or not. This debut feature film, which premiered at the "Quinzaine des Réalisateurs" section at Cannes, blends the road movie, family drama, and comedy genres. It delicately explores how Buddhism is experienced as a philosophy of life or a source of comfort for different generations.