LOOKING FOR A LADY WITH FANGS AND A MOUSTACHE

SINGAPORE PREMIERE

Nepal | 2021 | 113 min | PG 13: Some Drug References

Tibetan and Nepali with English subtitles

Directed by Khyentse Norbu

Following his search for the perfect location to create Kathmandu’s first “European style” cafe, Tenzin starts having strange visions, impeding his cafe plans. He reluctantly seeks a private audience with a monk, who predicts his imminent death, unless he finds a “Dakini”, a female embodiment of enlightened energy in Tibetan Buddhism.

Tenzin retreats from everything once important to him – the coffee shop, his business partners, and friends, trolling the streets of Kathmandu, on a quest to find an elusive lady with fangs and a moustache.

DIRECTOR’S BIO

Born in 1961 in Bhutan, Khyentse Norbu has written and directed several award-winning feature films, such as The Cup (1999), Travellers & Magicians (2003), and Vara: A Blessing (2013), Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (2016).

Known in the Buddhist world as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Norbu brings to his films a profound and subtle mastery and understanding of Buddhist philosophy and practice. He is an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher, best-selling author of several books, founder of several major philanthropic organisations, and head of monasteries and institutes of Buddhist Studies in Tibet, India and Bhutan.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

In this modern, scientific world – a world on the verge of creating artificial intelligence, and a world that disparages anything not amenable to reason – I try in this film to explore some of the last genuine residues of Tibetan mysticism. I believe this ancient wisdom, which reflects the Buddhist view of reality, has something vital to offer our modern world.

I intend this film to express the deep respect for feminine energy embodied in that wisdom, and to portray in a contemporary setting, both the transformative power of this energy and some of the ways it has traditionally been evoked. I give the audience plenty of time for contemplation, so images may not move fast and may even stand still for a period.

I used only non-professional actors, not only because there are few trained actors in Nepal, but also because the characters I am trying to portray have to be really genuine. For example, one of the characters is portrayed by an actual highly respected spiritual master whose qualities and demeanour a hundred thousand trained actors could not fathom, let alone convey.

Though few films today escape the enormous influence of the Hollywood and Bollywood formulae, I want to explore in this film a distinctive Himalayan way of expression and storytelling that is true to this region’s culture, tradition and wisdom.

In such ways, and through its atmosphere and techniques, I hope this film will transport audiences to a profound, mystical, and yet very real and accessible dimension of life with which our modern world is sadly and rapidly losing touch with.

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Evan Saxon
Head of Music & International Distribution
Abramorama
evansaxon@abramorama.com