Movie spotlight
3 Year 3 Month Retreat
The traditional ‘3 Year 3 Month Retreat’ or ‘Lo Sum Choe Sum’ is practiced by Buddhist monks, nuns and other devout practitioners. 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days is calculated as the time needed to achieve a higher state of clarity and motivation. By cutting oneself off from the world, and delving into the inner mind, the retreat is supposed to transform the practitioner. Can Lhamo, a young, wounded girl facing the harsh gaze of the world, find her own form of retreat and redemption? Lo Sum Choe Sum was Bhutan’s first entry into the Berlinale Shorts Competition. It was made in 2015 by filmmaker Dechen Roder, who later produced and wrote and directed the well-acclaimed Honeygiver Among the Dogs.
Insights
Plot Summary
A group of young people voluntarily enter a secluded monastery for a 3-year, 3-month spiritual retreat. However, their quest for enlightenment quickly turns into a terrifying ordeal as they uncover dark secrets and supernatural occurrences within the monastery's walls. As their sanity erodes and paranoia sets in, they must confront their inner demons and a malevolent presence that seems determined to keep them trapped forever.
Critical Reception
The film garnered mixed to negative reviews, with some critics acknowledging its atmospheric tension and unsettling premise, while others found its pacing slow and its plot convoluted. Audiences were similarly divided, with many finding it too slow and lacking in effective scares, despite the disturbing subject matter.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its unsettling atmosphere and psychological horror elements.
Criticized for its slow pacing and underdeveloped plot.
The film's disturbing themes are effective for some viewers but off-putting for others.
Google audience: Google user reviews are largely unavailable or unspecific for this film, indicating it did not gain significant mainstream traction or discussion among general audiences on the platform.
Fun Fact
The film's production was notably low-budget, contributing to its raw and independent feel, which some critics found either a strength or a weakness.
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