Sing Me a Song (2019)

Directed by: Thomas Balmes | 100 minutes | documentary

In Thomas Balmès’ earlier film ‘Happiness’ we were introduced to eight-year-old Bhutanese Peyangki, whose big dream was to become a monk. Now, ten years later, Balmès visits the now seventeen-year-old again. With the arrival of electricity in the village, temptations such as internet and television have made their appearance. How does this affect a young generation of monks and the authenticity of Bhutan?

‘Sing Me a Song’ opens with a number of images from ‘Happiness’, in which the dreamy Peyangki tells that he wants to become a Lama when he grows up. In addition to this big dream, he has a number of other wishes, such as seeing an airplane and one day owning a house with electricity. We then see how electricity poles are being erected in his native village of Laya, high in the Himalayas.

A moment later we are in the present and 17-year-old Peyangki is awakened by the alarm on his mobile phone. A group of young monks, recognizable by their shaved heads and red robes, are praying aloud as they are sucked into their cell phones, piece by piece. It is immediately clear; the advent of the internet and television has drastically changed their world.

Peyangki, like every average teenager these days, has grown into his cellphone. Via ‘WeChat’ he talks extensively with his girlfriend, a girl from the big city whom he met through the online platform.

She sends him love songs sung to him and he reads her messages aloud as if they were mantras. Meanwhile, studying is becoming less and less of a priority and Peyangki even thinks about leaving the monastery, much to the dismay of his mother. Will the fledgling internet love be worth this drastic decision?

Peyangki is an endearing character and his transition from boy to man is unmistakable. He is the oldest of his group and shows off his beautiful girlfriend. But when push comes to shove, he finds it all very scary and he can’t hold back his big tears. Balmès knows how to capture these delicate moments well and he has undoubtedly built a deep bond with this boy. You often wonder whether his characters even realize that a camera is present.

‘Sing Me a Song’ is a tender portrait of Peyangki’s authentic world that, like everything around us, is being affected by today’s online culture. Traditions fade and lose importance and young people in particular are influenced by unrealistic ideals on social media. It is in a way confronting to watch, but this abrasive feeling disappears when the circle turns out to be round again at the end. ‘Sing Me a Song’ would therefore have been more challenging if Balmès had dared to end it earlier. The impressive images of the incomparable nature around Laya, in contrast to the digital world, make an extra impression and let you hope that this will remain untouched.