SHAMBHALA

In the Himalayan polyandrous village in Nepal, a pregnant woman, Pema endures societal judgment about her child's legitimacy when her husband vanishes on a trade to Lhasa. Together with her monk brother-in-law, Karma, de facto husband, she embarks on a harsh journey into the unforgiving wilderness to find him. What begins as a quest to reunite with her missing husband transforms into a profound spiritual awakening and a deeply transformative personal odyssey of self-discovery and liberation, where each step across the challenging Himalayan landscape becomes a passage toward inner awakening and enlightenment.

Director: Min Bahadur Bham

Nepalese filmmaker Min Bahadur Bham holds Masters degrees in Buddhist Philosophy and Political Science while pursuing a PhD in Anthropology. His short, “Bansulli” (2012), Nepal’s first entry to the Venice IFF, followed by his debut feature “Kalo Pothi” (2015), which won the FEDEORA Best Film Award at Venice Critics Week, and became Nepal’s official Oscar entry. Acknowledged for nurturing emerging talent, his productions have graced the festivals like - Venice, Berlinale, Rotterdam and Busan. His second feature, “Shambhala”, made history as Nepal’s first film in the Berlinale Competition section.

Cinematographer: Aziz Zhambakiyev

Aziz Zhambakiyev is a director and cinematographer based in Kazakhstan. He graduated from the Faculty of Cinema and TV in 2009, specialized to be a Cinema and TV operator, at the National Academy of Arts in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In 2011, he completed his Master's degree in his specialist field. Early in his career, Aziz worked on films like “Realtor”, “Harmony Lessons”, “The Puppet Syndrome” and “Metamorphosis” as cinematographer. For “Harmony Lessons” he won the Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution at Berlin Film Festival in 2013. He was both the cinematographer and editor of Min Bahadu Bham’s first feature film “The Black Hen” which was screened at Venice International Film Festival Critics’ Week and was awarded as Best Film. Aziz has been an honorary member of the Asian Film Academy in Hongkong since 2014.

Production Notes

Produced by: Shooney Films (Nepal)
In co-production with: CDP (France), Ape&Bjørn (Norway), Aaru Production (Hong Kong), ZK Films (Turkey), Yi Tiao Long Hu Bao (Taiwan) Bangdel and Shakya Production (USA)
Shooting location: Dolpa, Nepal (4200 - 6000 Meters Altitude) World's Highest Human Settlement
Camera: ALEXA Mini
Lenses: Zeiss Supreme Primes + ARRI Ultra Primes
Camera and Lenses serviced by: Multi Matt, Kathmandu, Nepal
World premiere: Berlin International Film Festival, Main Competition, 2024