JOURNEY OF A DREAM (Shenpenn Khymsar, Canada/India/Tibet). 81 minutes. Friday (June 17), 4 pm, at the Toronto Underground. Rating: NN
Shenpenn Khymsar’s Journey Of A Dream, about his twin passions for heavy metal and a free Tibet, is beautifully shot and heartfelt, but it never really comes together.
He takes us through his personal journey from his childhood home in Darjeeling where his family lived as Tibetan exiles – and where he learned to play guitar – to his immigration to Brooklyn, New York, and then to Canada. But we’re not sure why he’s taking us on that journey in the first place.
Khymsar never explains the connection between heavy metal and Tibetan freedom. In fact, the musical element disappears entirely for the middle third of the film while he focuses on the Free Tibet movement in North America.
And when he does celebrate heavy metal’s influence in Darjeeling, he doesn’t take on the fact that Darjeeling is therefore a poster city for Western cultural imperialism.
Khymsar’s passionate, for sure, but also very naive.
