Manakamana

With director Pacho Velez in person. Followed by a discussion with film critic Eric Hynes

Dir. Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez. 2013, 118 mins. DCP. Composed of eleven long hypnotic shots, this transfixing ethnographic documentary follows various pilgrims and tourists as they travel to and from a Nepalese temple via a cable car suspended high over a mountain jungle. In focusing rigorously on the faces and interactions of the passengers—sometimes serious, sometimes humorous—Manakamana invites viewers to wonder about who these people are and what brought them here. The effect is revelatory, as the rhythms of the cable car’s journey, panoramic views of the verdant landscape, and voyeuristic pleasures of simply observing others combine to produce a riveting, meditative effect.

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