Contemplative and caring, 9 Temples to Heaven moves through its story in a way that won’t be for everyone. Echoing the films of its producer Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Sompot Chidgasornpongse carefully tells the story of a family visiting 9 temples in one day, in hopes of warding off the death of their family matriarch. With a quiet exploration of religion, and how viewpoints change between generations, 9 Temples to Heaven takes us on a journey through the topic of faith in buddhist Thailand, and the conflicts that it may cause in a family.
Sakol is warned by a fortune teller that his mother may die soon. He is advised to visit 9 buddhist temples with her, in hopes of provide offerings and prayers to save her life. Along with his wife, brother, sister, and their children, they bring their matriarch on a one-day pilgrimage to these temples, forcing the family to confront their differences in their life and beliefs, as Sakol’s mother grows increasingly unwell.
What stands out almost immediately when watching Chidgasornpongse’s first fictional feature film is the visuals. The film captures the buddhist temples, the roads of their hometown in Thailand, and the family dynamics beautifully, encapsulating the spirituality of the story in the images we are seeing on the screen.
Having previously worked as assistant director for Apichatpong Weerasethakul on many critically-acclaimed films, Chidgasornpongse echoes the art of Weerasethakul’s lingering shot, remaining still on a subject or landscape long after we have come to expect it to cut to the next. This gives us time to experience the prayers and motions with those in the film, and this uninterrupted style of filming truly immerses us in the day of the family, forcing us to sit through the moments after a film would normally cut to the next shot with new things to look at. It forces us to take our time, much like the family is taking their time in their faith to save their mother and grandmother.
The sound design and lighting also work beautifully in tandem with the camera, as we are surrounded by the sounds of nature and the temple’s daily calls. The lighting around the family slowly changes as the day progresses, so we really do feel as though we have experienced this long day alongside them.
What really captured me with regards to the film’s story was the way it approached religion and faith. Throughout the day, different characters are highlighted, as their differing points of view on buddhism and religion are touched upon. There is a unique look at how the different generations respond to religion, and how each character’s perspective is influenced by their past and their politics. This results in the main conflicts of the film, as the generations continue to butt heads throughout the day, when deciding how to proceed based on their own personal beliefs.
Further, there is a unique exploration of who religion is for. With the pilgrimage being organized by the son, is he bringing everyone along in hopes of helping his mother? Or is religion more for those who will be left on Earth after another’s death, so the son may live without guilt knowing he did everything he could to help his mother? Further, when the grandchild generation proposes an early finish as their grandmother is clearly getting tired, why is the father so opposed? For him, not finishing the day means the death of his mother. But for the children, not finishing the day means allowing their grandmother final moments of peace at home, regardless of what the fortune teller has told them.
Chidgasornpongse approached the sensitive topic of faith and the challenges and conflicts it may cause with an open mind, presenting different ideas without ever telling us one is right or wrong but instead that these different point of views all come from a place of love and caring. With each character, we are able to understand why they feel the way they do, based on their history and own personal politics, as well as the generation in which they were raised. The ending has a bit more of a push in one direction, but overall can be left up to interpretation. The film, for me, is more about the love that exists within a family and respect for other’s beliefs, rather than a simple question of who is more right or wrong.
With its stunning visuals, Sompot Chidgasornpongse’s fictional feature debut has a lot to say about religion and family. It never presents one point of view on religion as right or wrong, but instead approaches this sensitive subject matter with an open mind and heart. It understand that at the end of the day, we all make decisions in the interests of those we love, it is just our approach to these decisions that is influenced by our own personal beliefs and the generation in which we are raised.
9 Temples to Heaven was screened at the 2026 Cannes International Film Festival. Image courtesy of The PR Factory.
