The Power of Faith, Family, and Saying Goodbye
MOVIE REVIEW
MOLA - A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss
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Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 14m
Director(s): Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen
Where To Watch: shown at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival
RAVING REVIEW: A life spent in exile, a century of resilience, and one final wish MOLA - A TIBETAN TALE OF LOVE AND LOSS delivers an intimate and deeply human exploration of what it means to belong. Directed by Yangzom Brauen and Martin Brauen, this documentary follows Mola, a 100-year-old Tibetan Buddhist nun whose greatest wish is to return to her homeland before she dies. She fled Tibet in 1959 and built a life in Switzerland with her daughter Sonam and son-in-law Martin. But after decades away, the pull of her birthplace is stronger than ever. What unfolds is a bureaucratic challenge and an emotional reckoning as her family works to secure a visa and faces the reality that granting Mola’s wish may mean saying goodbye forever.
MOLA doesn’t just track a physical journey—it explores the weight of history, the complexities of exile, and the emotional tug-of-war between holding on and letting go. Rather than simply retelling her story, the film blends past and present, weaving in archival footage and personal memories to give depth to Mola’s story. Her presence on screen is nothing short of magnetic. Feisty, sharp-witted, and deeply devoted to her beliefs, she refuses to be portrayed as a frail woman waiting for the end. Instead, she teases Sonam, commands your attention, and remains as stubborn as ever, making it impossible not to be drawn in by her spirit.
The relationship between Mola and Sonam is at the film's heart—a bond filled with warmth, frustration, and an unspoken fear of separation. Their dynamic is raw and unfiltered, offering some of the film’s most poignant moments. Sonam, who has spent nearly her entire life caring for her mother, struggles with the weight of this transition. While she wants to honor Mola’s wishes, the pain of parting is something no amount of preparation can soften. This tension is handled with remarkable honesty, allowing the audience to feel the weight of every glance and unspoken word.
However, while MOLA excels in its storytelling, it misses an opportunity to engage fully with the larger sociopolitical forces. The Chinese occupation of Tibet is a central reason for Mola’s exile. Yet, the film focuses almost entirely on her journey, offering only passing acknowledgment of Tibetan exiles' larger struggles. A deeper dive into the political roadblocks preventing her return could have added another layer of urgency and context, making the story resonate even more.
Another area where the film struggles is in its reliance on sentimentality. The emotional weight of the story is already substantial. Given how powerful the film’s quieter moments are—when Mola simply sits, prays, or shares a calm exchange with Sonam—there’s little need for added emotional cues. A more restrained approach would have let the film’s natural depth shine through without unnecessary embellishment.
That said, MOLA remains a compelling and heartfelt experience. The filmmakers’ close connection to Mola ensures an authenticity that can’t be manufactured, capturing moments of humor, frustration, and reflection that feel completely organic. The film is at its best when it leans into these intimate moments, allowing the audience to sit with the characters rather than guiding them toward a predetermined emotional response.
When the film reaches its final act, it raises powerful questions: Is home a place, or is it found in the people we hold dear? What happens when the past calls to us, even as the present keeps us tethered? And how do we say goodbye when there’s no way to prepare for it? MOLA - A TIBETAN TALE OF LOVE AND LOSS doesn’t claim to have the answers, but it offers a deeply human meditation on the search for closure, the sacrifices we make for love, and the quiet strength it takes to let go.
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[photo courtesy of YANGZOOM FILMS, BUNKERVILLE PRODUCTION, UNION EDITORIAL]
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