NEWS: Manakamana @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle

In Hindu culture, the Manakamana Temple in Nepal is a sacred place dedicated to the worship of Bhagwati, an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. But if you think that Manakamana, directed by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez, will be all about looking at the religious side of the temple and its worshippers, you might be in for a surprise. The film, which screens at the Tyneside Cinema from Friday 12th December, is actually a gentle observational documentary set entirely in a cable car.

The film follows the trips of different passengers, including both locals and tourists, as they make their way to the temple at the top of the mountain, high above the Nepalese jungle. Though all the visitors to the temple go to worship, the setting of the cable car reveals that they all have distinctly different lives and different reasons for making the pilgrimage. Despite being filmed in close quarters, the documentary is breath-taking and, despite its slow and languid pace, it manages to bring out a sense of poignancy to each trip. Just watch the enigmatic trailer and you’ll know how hypnotizing the simple direction can be.

Manakamana screens at the Tyneside Cinema from Friday 12th December.