Somewhere deep in a secluded forest of Bhutan, there is a gathering every twelve years of men and women, especially chosen by the Old Man to enjoy a few days of anonymity. Faceless, the men and women participate in rituals, performances, and dances. Masked, the men and women are lascivious, playful, and dangerous.

Expressionless attends this festival for the first time, and enters the experience like a newborn. He stumbles clumsily through his first few days, but quickly adapts. Then he spots Red Wrathful, and becomes intoxicated with desire for her, a desire that leads him down a path that totally consumes him.

A strikingly original and personal work, this is a rich story told without the excess of human conversation. Director Norbu, a highly regarded teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, uses masks, simple percussion instruments, and vivid Buddhist imagery as a mirror reflecting the fallibility of the human sense of self.

In Dzongkha with English subtitles
Director: Khyentse Norbu (Bhutan/Hong Kong) 96 min.