Karmalink (2021 | Cambodia | 102 minutes | Jake Wachtel)
A boy, a young man, and a middle aged tech guru all have one thing in common: their spirits. With each life lived, the challenges, missteps and bad choices follow our protagonist like a shadow and he seems to learn very little until we meet the young Leng Heng (portrayed by Leng Heng Prak). His family and community is facing forced removal to make way for a high speed train and while his mother fights for their home, Leng fights growing anxiety and sleeplessness as visions plague his dreams. Realizing that he may be seeing his past selves, he and his friends go on a journey for treasure, but what they find instead is far more enthralling and insidious than he could have imagined.
From the well-crafted story, to the witty teen actors and intriguing storyline I was impressed from head to toe with Karmalink. It was a bit slow-going in the beginning and the pace didn’t pick up as much as I would have liked but the mashup of an ancient religious belief (Buddhism) with science fiction breathed fresh air into a somewhat stale trope: when technology and scientific advances go too far. With the aid of a single injection of nanotechnology and affixing a pill-sized button to your forehead you’re able to join the network and enjoy a virtual reality environment that seems dazzling, but can quickly lead to obsession. This fascinating tech provided the backdrop of first-time director Jake Wachtel’s futuristic world.
The relationship between Leng and the scruffy but lovable Srey Leak (played by Srey Leak Chhith) starts rough but their banter and growing intimacy is endearing. Srey is a local scavenger and orphan left to fend for herself by a hard-luck brother but she can acquire anything if you want it bad enough. She sees something in Leng that pulls at the sleuthing side of her and maybe plucks a few heartstrings she’d thought long since broken. The two dig deep into Leng’s past lives and find way more than they bargained for when his waking visions lead them down a rabbit hole. If you’re able to stick with it through the somewhat rambling beginning, you’ll be all in by the end.
Karmalink in theaters (SIFF Film Center) and on VOD on 07/15/22.