Following the advice from his boss, who had a premonition of his mother's death, Sakol, a middle aged business man, embarks on a trip of merit making to 9 Buddhist temples in one day, to prolong his mother's life before her birthday, which is coming up in two weeks. He enlists 9 family members, spanning three generations into a rental van to visit all 9 temples.
Number 9 is considered a lucky number in Thailand, with it being similar sounding as the word 'progress', or 'moving forward'. With the Buddhism ingrained in everyday life of a Thai, Sokol is dead serious about making the pilgrimages. But with 9 individuals in one van (well there's Sakol's nephew and his girlfriend following them in their car, things are bound to go sideways. It is especially true regarding grandma, who is slightly annoyed about the whole situation and seen nodding off in the van most of the time, refuses to get out of the van after three temples, even though it’s all for her supposedly. She is tired and wants to go home.
The monks at the temples, eager to receive donations and money for merit making visitors, are a jovial bunch, giving Sokol generally vague advice in achieving merits- gifts, money and praying hard. The family argues among themselves about who would look after the grandma if her health deteriorates. They argue about the efficacy of the trip and giving gifts for merits to the temple. The younger ones, not very into the idea of Buddhism and its traditions - one is brought up Catholic to say the least, find the trip old fashioned and tedious. They talk about their plans for the future instead. Some will go abroad to study.
The golden Buddha statues glisten in the courtyards with their gold leaf skin flaking off in the wind. Temples get progressively more opulent as they visit each one. The gifts from the visitors stack up in the holding room like a bounty in a pirate's chamber - they sell gift box packages at the stores for the temple it turns out. The roadside meals are distributed according to their choices on the plastic table outdoors or in the van in the parking lot. As we follow along the road trip, we get to see the slice of life in bustling modern Thailand where past and present exist side-by-side.
Yet there is a spectacular Weerasethakul moment near the end, as the celestial event - a solar eclipse - with sudden gusts of wind and darkness enveloping all characters - all the resentment and bickering fall silent and the screen goes dark completely, at least for a moment.
As the film bookends with the funeral preparations of the grandma, whether the merit making business worked or the family made to all 9 temples is irrelevant. People die and life goes on regardless. Sompot Chidgasornpongse, who has served in many of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's films as an Assistant Director (Tropical Malady, Syndromes and a Century, Cemetery of Splendor, Memoria), may not share the otherworldly sensibility of his mentor (who produced the film), but his acute observation on changing Thai society, the generational gap and family dynamics feels something more akin to Taiwanese master Edward Yang's films. 9 Temples to Heaven is a great debut of a promising filmmaker.
