2022 · Sci Fi · 1 HR 42 MIN

Directed by
Jake Wachtel

Written by
Jake Wachtel
Christopher Larsen

Produced by
Valerie Steinberg
Sok Visal
Christopher Rompre

Starring
Srey Leak Chhith
Leng Heng Prak
Sahajak Boonthanakit
Cindy Sirinya Bishop
Rous Mony
Sveng Socheata

Synopsis: Conceived as a way to interrogate processes of neo-colonialism, and highlighting the alienating effects of technological progress, Jake Wachtel’s KARMALINK is a mind-bending tale of reincarnation, artificial consciousness, and the search for enlightenment.

In near-future Phnom Penh, the rich and privileged are augmented with nanotech, and new skyscrapers crowd the skyline. In Tralok Bek, a tight-knit community threatened with forced eviction, 13-year-old Leng Heng is having vivid dreams of his past lives. He and his friends are convinced they are meant to find a buried Buddhist statue to save their homes, and they seek out help from a street-smart girl in the neighborhood, Srey Leak. Together they follow clues across town and into the past, uncovering a link with a genius neuroscientist on a quest for digital nirvana. As Leng Heng’s dreams converge on the present, his very sense of identity begins to unravel. When it becomes clear that the stakes are higher than they imagined, the two friends must decide how far they are willing to go to find their treasure and the truth.

FIND A THEATER

*Select Screenings on opening weekend feature live Q&As with Director Jake Wachtel and Producer Valerie Steinberg


Berkeley, CA – Rialto Lakeside Elmwood
July 15

Sebastopol, CA – Rialto Lakeside Sonoma
July 15
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*Live Q&A Show Sun July 17 1:00 PM

Seattle, WA – SIFF Film Center
July 15
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