Documentary

Samsara

Christian Mushenko’s evocative imagery captures the streets of Bangkok that Buddhists must negotiate in the pursuit of nirvana.

Samudaya – the cause or origin of suffering – craving, desire, attachment

Saṅkhāra-Dukkha – a basic unsatisfactory nature pervading all existence; because all forms of life are changing and impermanent

Nirodha – cessation of suffering by eliminating desire

The life of a Bangkok buddhist is one of endless painful cycles of rebirth. A perpetual wandering and a religious striving to eliminate all sensual craving amongst ever-present profanity, desire and attachment. Once there is no resistance to being in hell, heaven opens up and samsara reveals its true nature as nirvana. On the streets there is stoic resistance, a shocking detachment, karma for sale and moments of tenderness. It’s alien. But at the same time there’s a human sense of recognition and understanding.

Share

The photographer

Christian Mushenko

Spanning New York, London, Sydney and Asia, photographer/director Christian Mushenko has the same approach to shooting stills and motion: capturing authentic moments in a distinctive warm and emotive style.

Other featured work

My Ukranian Family

Spanning a century of upheaval, Christian Mushenko’s project traces a photographer’s return to his ancestral roots — revealing the fragile, beautiful truth of belonging.

Read More

Hearts and Bones

Christian Mushenko’s studio project is a mixture of heartfelt and confronting images that explore the power of touch.

Read More

Explore More

Paul’s Barber Shop

Photographer Andy Holloway captures a day in Paul’s Barber Shop, blending images and recorded conversations to document a Liverpool institution in a changing neighbourhood.

Read More

My Ukranian Family

Spanning a century of upheaval, Christian Mushenko’s project traces a photographer’s return to his ancestral roots — revealing the fragile, beautiful truth of belonging.

Read More

Whispers Through Glass

Cary Jobe gently dissolves the boundary between reflection and reality, capturing the quiet poetry hidden in life’s transient moments.

Read More