Olivia Gorham

                                                                                           Film Synopsis

Ani is an observational short film that immerses viewers in the quiet rhythms of a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery in the Nepali Himalayas. Moving through dawn prayers, shared meals, and solitary moments of reflection, the film lingers on the nuns’ daily rituals—and the rhythmic cadence of life in the surrounding natural environment. Rejecting conventional documentary forms, Ani foregrounds sensory experience, layering textured soundscapes and fragmented imagery to explore concepts of spirituality and ecofeminism. Rather than offering a singular, authoritative perspective, the film embraces ambiguity, reflecting the multiplicity of voices and presences within the nunnery. Through a fluid interplay of movement and stillness, interior and exterior, Ani disrupts narrative expectations, challenging the audience’s desire for complete understanding. Instead, it invites an intuitive and immersive engagement, where meaning emerges in the spaces between sound, image, and silence.

                                                                                      Director Statement

In making Ani, my intention was not to create empathy through a prescriptive narrative, but to facilitate a shared space where viewers can experience presence, vulnerability, and introspection. This is a film shaped by an outsider’s partial understanding, held together by a commitment to respect and relationality, hoping to spark quiet contemplation rather than impose definitive meaning.

I wanted to create a film that exists in a space of reverence and mindful engagement with a community not my own, guided by the concepts of feminist sensory ethnography and the principle of “speaking nearby.” I entered a place rich in tradition and rhythm, not to decode or explain, but to experience alongside the women living there and to invite audiences into that experience with an awareness of its layered complexity. The monastery’s vibrant ecosystem of prayer, minimalism, and spiritual practice inspired me to use sensory-driven storytelling to honor the nuns' world without asserting a total understanding of it.

My approach centers on themes of interconnectedness, impermanence, and the shared rhythms that echo throughout the natural and spiritual landscapes of the monastery. I chose to use asynchronous soundscapes and lingering, fragmented visuals to deepen the film’s resonance without compromising the nuns’ agency or individuality. Rather than positioning myself as an observer, I sought to participate with respect and openness, allowing the sensory elements to bridge the space between us, creating a porous experience that connects the inside and outside, the physical and spiritual.