Time-images in Khyentse Norbu's "Travellers and Magicians" (2003) : the possibility of critical Buddhist cinema

Abstract

Like many other critical Third World films, Khyentse Norbu’s "Travellers and Magicians" (2003) is orientated less around meeting Hollywood entertainment standards, and more around a neorealist reflection upon the socio-cultural and politico-economic changes that have occurred, within traditional society, as a consequence of globalisation. In this regard, "Travellers and Magicians" takes as its focal point the confrontation between traditional Bhutanese culture and modernity. However, not only is the neorealist relationship between Khyentse Norbu’s film and other similarly orientated Third World films obscured by the exclusive evaluation of the former against standard Hollywood fare. In addition, such an evaluative approach also eclipses the manner in which "Travellers and Magicians" advances beyond its Third World counterparts, through its creative elaboration upon the neorealist formula, via the inclusion of a series of complex time-images within its narrative. Indeed, through this, Khyentse Norbu’s film does more than simply reflect critically upon the changes currently taking place within traditional Bhutanese society as a result of globalisation. That is, via its thematization of the actual-virtual processes through which subjectivity is constituted, in relation to both simple stories and the multi-dimensional mass media, "Travellers and Magicians" also opens up the possibility of critical Buddhist cinema. In other words, cinema which serves a critical social function, through its representation of subjectivity as a media construct that can be de-constructed, as it were, via both a growing sensitivity to the subtle processes of such construction, and a corresponding diminishment of the compulsion to unwittingly submit to them. In effect, this article is orientated around drawing such features of Khyentse Norbu’s film into conspicuousness, in the interest of considering the (Buddhist) cinematic possibilities that it thereby opens up.

Voorstellings van tyd in Khyentse Norbu se "Travellers and Magicians" (2003): die moontlikheid van kritiese Boeddhistiese film. Soos talle ander kritiese Derde Wêreld films is Khyentse Norbu se "Travellers and Magicians" (2003) nie primêr op die bereiking van Hollywood se vermaaklikheidstandaarde gerig nie; dit bied eerder ‘n neo-realistiese refleksie oor die sosio-kulturele en polities-ekonomiese veranderinge wat as gevolg van globalisering in tradisionele samelewings plaasgevind het. In hierdie opsig fokus "Travellers and Magicians" op die konfrontasie tussen tradisionele Bhoetanese kultuur en moderniteit. Die neo-realistiese verhouding tussen Khyentse Norbu se film en ander soortgelyk-georiënteerde Derde Wêreld films is egter nie al wat versluier word deur dit uitsluitlik aan die gewone Hollywood-produkte te meet nie; inteendeel, so ‘n beoordeling versluier ook die wyse waarop "Travellers and Magicians" met die insluiting van ‘n reeks komplekse voorstellings van tyd in sy eie narratief skeppend op die neo-realistiese formule uitbrei, en sodoende verder as sy Derde Wêreld eweknieë beweeg. Daardeur gaan Khyentse Norbu se film verder as om bloot krities oor die veranderinge wat huidiglik in die Bhoetanese samelewing as gevolg van globalisering plaasvind, te reflekteer. Met ander woorde, met die tematisering van die werklik-virtuele prosesse waardeur subjektiwiteit in verhouding tot sowel eenvoudige verhale as die multi-dimensionele media gekonstitueer word, open "Travellers and Magicians" ook die moontlikheid van kritiese Boeddhistiese film – dit wil sê: film wat deur sy voorstelling van subjektiwiteit as ‘n media-konstruk as’t ware ‘n kritiese sosiale funksie verrig met die gepaardgaande toenemende sensitiwiteit vir die subtiele prosesse van sodanige konstruksie, asook ‘n ooreenstemmende vermindering van die dwangmatige onderwerping daaraan. Hierdie artikel bring sodanige kenmerke van Khyente Norbu se film na vore met die oog op die oorweging van die (Boeddhistiese) kinematiese moontlikhede wat dit open.