Canadian Premiere
Making his fiction feature debut, Sompot Chidgasornpongse tells a story of love, duty, and faith in present-day Thailand. Matriarch Saluay (Amara Ramnarong) is growing tired and sickly, and her middle-aged son Sakul (Surachai Ningsanond) fears his mother may be nearing her final days. Taking advice from his boss, Sakul leads his family on a mission: to visit nine Buddhist temples in one day, where Saluay will “make merit” through offerings of money and consumer goods. But as Saluay grows increasingly exhausted, conflict arises, and the value of religious tradition comes into question.
Chidgasornpongse’s film begins as a work of lighthearted realism and builds toward something profound. Along the way are humorous encounters, intimations of unease, and moments of deep sadness as the film grows in stature. Poised, congenial, and ultimately rapturous, 9 Temples to Heaven is a family drama that dares to strike mystical chords.
Oscars submission: Thailand
Community Partner
Amara Ramnarong, Surachai Ningsanond, Jirawut Chiwaruck, Yaneenan Jiraphatjittrin, Klaichan Phunman, Sompop Songkampol
Thailand/Singapore/France/
Norway/China/Hong Kong/
Indonesia/Qatar
2026
In Thai with English subtitles
At Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island
At Fifth Ave
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits & Director
Producer
Kissada Kamyoung, Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Screenwriter
Sompot Chidgasornpongse
Cinematography
Jonathan Ricquebourg
Editor
Tham Kattiyakul, Jirapat Mekkrajai, Daniel Hui, Sompot Chidgasornpongse
Production Design
Akekarat Homlaor
Art Director
Thanissorn Taopayung
Sompot Chidgasornpongse
Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Boat) is a filmmaker based in Bangkok. His short films have screened at numerous international film festivals, including Rotterdam, Oberhausen, Visions du Réel, Viennale, IndieLisboa, Film Fest Gent, and SGIFF. His debut documentary Railway Sleepers (2016) premiered in competition at the Busan International Film Festival and had its European premiere at the Berlinale. He has also worked closely with Apichatpong Weerasethakul as an assistant director on several films, including Tropical Malady (2004), Syndromes and a Century (2006), Cemetery of Splendour (2015), and Memoria (2021).
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