A poetic yet very realistic, rather incredibly humane and enthralling meditation on life, death and karma, set and shot in Varanasi, India. The film is based on the author's experiences backpacking around his home country and stumbling upon hotels where some Hindus go to die.
It was more than a pleasure to meet and have a chance to talk to the very talented and sensitive young Indian director Shunhashish Bhutiani. His debut feature at the age of 26 has an all star Indian cast (kudos to Adil Hussain - Life of Pi - and Lalit Bhel - Tetli).
The film follows a real story of father and son who go to one of these hotels on the banks of the Ganges looking for salvation. What was meant to be the end of it all turns into an enlightening journey of self discovery and family bonding. Sounds rather heavy when reading the synopsis, but having attended the premiere of Hotel Salvation at the BF LondonI, I was emotionally humbled by this story with the perfect balance between drama and comedy, turning it into a colourful, humorous and enlightening experience. Not to mention the amazing cinematography, with wide shots of the Ganges, its people, boats and rituals.