This is a film which bursts the boundaries of documentary through its superb storytelling and engagement. It is a journey into beauty and magic, yet suffused with a bass note of tragedy. For anyone living in the West, the fundamental values on which we base our lives are challenged. I have watched this film over and over, and never cease to moved by it. There is a deceptive simplicity to its subject matter - a mother, a father, their beautiful children, and the vortex of extended family just out of frame. But the camera work and the entire philosophy of filmmaking employed here is compelling. We are drawn into the world of the Karenas, and it makes us realize that there are many more ways of tackling life than the conventional. We are drawn into the beauty of the landscape, only to be surprised by the beauty of the souls being revealed. If ever there was a film that deserved to win an Oscar, this is it. It has come to the world's attention at exactly the right time. Do not miss seeing it.
Review of This Way of Life
