Written and directed by Bhutanese Buddhist monk Kyentse Norbu, Travellers and Magicians tells the story of a government official from a backwater village in Bhutan, Dondup. He longs for a more exciting life, one in America. So when he gets an opportunity to make his dreams come true, he grabs it. But then he misses the bus- and decides to hitchhike instead.
Our official (Dandup) is joined on his journey by a monk, who begins to tell the lustful, murderous fable of a magician. The magician's story is dramatized as a parallel narrative to the actual movie, providing a mirror for Dondup's journey and choices in life.
Dondup's journey and those that travel with him grow in the typical road movie way, but the sinister scenes of the magician's story and the stunning Bhutanese backdrops make this movie different from others in the genre. Being the first feature film out of Bhutan, and written and directed by a monk no less, this film is well worth seeing.