Karmalink (2021) - full transcript

I am the owner of my karma.

Heir to my karma.

Born of my karma.

Whatever I do, for good or evil

to that I will fall heir.

I know your eyes.

This is not the first
time we have met

nor will it be the last.

Stop right there!

Wake up.

Wake up, my child.



You were talking in your sleep.

Time to get up.

Rise and shine.

What's this?

Your tea, grandma.

Srey Leak, rent was
due a few days ago.

I thought your shop was
supposed to pay our rent.

Can you bring half tonight?

Hey guys, I had another dream
of my past life.

- Again?
- Better be something good this time.

This
dream was different.

What did you see, exactly?

A bunch of statues, but this one
was definitely gold.

Hear that, Mi?
We're gonna find a treasure!



You're always saying Leng Heng's dreams
are full of shit. But he sees gold--

Dudes, I'm having a vision
of my past life too.

I was the king of Angkor!

Son! There's a meeting
at the village chief's

and I want everyone to be there.

Move it!

You go around
like everyone else.

No shortcuts!

Kids these days...

BULLET TRAIN TO BEIJING

All this talk of
progress, of the future

but you shove us out of the way,
like we don't even exist.

My family has lived in this

neighborhood for
three generations--

Ma'am, I assure you
we are sympathetic to

your family's situation.

That's why we are
offering to relocate you.

Sir...your goddamn
land concessions

are kilometers outside the city.

You are tearing
this community apart--

Ma'am, I ask that you remain civil.

We've offered your
community generous compensation,

but your protests have
already cost us millions.

This railroad you are
building is bullshit.

My husband is at war
and you are letting...

- Tell
Mom I'll be home later.

- ...this
company steal our land--

Ma'am,
Cambodia is not at war.

If your husband took a salary to

fight on behalf of
a foreign power...

Hey guys!

Hey, what's up?

You could throw a thousand times in
a thousand lives, and still never hit it.

They're splitting us up.

By next year we won't
even be friends.

Why wouldn't we be friends, Thy?

They're gonna tear down our houses
to build some bullet train to China.

So we really need to
find this treasure.

But where the hell do we start?

What do you want, weirdo?

Thy said he could get me
a P2 chip if I had money.

We're busy.

Didn't I
just say I have money?

If we're going on an
expedition, we'll need supplies.

I know where we
can get a shovel.

What are you digging for?

None of your damn business.

Ok, whatever.

I had a dream of my past
life. There was treasure--

Damn, are you just
gonna tell everyone?

Where's it buried?

Why do you care?

I know how to find things.

The last thing we need is some
dirty orphan trying to take a cut.

Leave her alone, Thy.
She's just a girl.

You can both back off, assholes.

You said you had money!
Nobody wants American dollars!

I hope you brought me something
good for all these beautiful hard drives.

Brand new P2 chip.

Hey
man, wait for me!

I'll bring you something
good next time.

I promise.

Kids these days.

Come on, Old Timer.

The Russian will give me seven
for the encrypted drive,

plus a quarter of the bitcoin
he'll probably find.

-But you know I'd rather deal with you--
-Okay, okay.

Deal.

What the hell happened, Kosal?

What?

I packed you a bag before
the landlord changed the locks.

At least you have a
change of clothes.

I have my half of the rent.

He gave me ten minutes.

I couldn't even get my gear out.

Understand?

Just give me your half and we'll
find a place to sleep tonight.

-Where's your half?
-Come on, let's go.

You don't even have it, do you?

Since you were little, I always
tried to take care of you.

I guess I'm not the
best big brother.

Khmer language

Are you curious
about your grandma?

Doctor, can I rest?

We're done. Just focus on that last
photo while I cycle the device down.

If the pills help her remember,
why does she need to wear the hat?

The medicine only lasts for
a few hours, so we developed this device

to permanently fix her memory.

Pretty cool, eh?

Doctor, would like to
join us for porridge?

I've got some time before
I see my next granny.

Sure, that would be lovely.

She said yes.

Girls, come eat.

Have a seat.

Little sister, have you
taken a genuine interest in Buddhism?

Or did you offer to do chores just
to steal bananas from the offerings?

Hey, Srey Leak!

I need your help
finding a treasure.

Are you serious?

You said you were good
at finding things.

Why don't your sandals match?

I was playing with the guys here
yesterday and one sandal disappeared.

Which car?

I already checked.
It's not there.

Let's go.

I've seen the same statue
in two dreams of two different past lives.

I'm supposed to find it
in this life too. I'm sure.

If you say so.

What are we doing
out here anyway?

Recognize anything?

Everyone knows Uncle Sarath.

No, dumbass. Look at the dogs.

Maybe that
one with the red collar?

Maybe? Think it over.

That's it!

-How long have you lived here?
-My whole life.

And you never
followed the dogs around?

Everyone knows that red-collared bitch
is a thief. And this is where she sleeps.

See you around.

What about my treasure?

I got a job, kid.

I can't work and investigate
your treasure.

I'll pay you.

Right, sure you will.

How much?

We'll split the treasure.

I want half.

I already promised
the guys a quarter each.

Forty then.

That leaves you each
fifteen percent.

Final offer.

We'll need one of
Thy's chickens.

A chicken?

Don't question my methods.

You're getting fifteen percent of
Leng Heng's treasure

and all he's asking for
is a single chicken.

My take's down to
fifteen percent?

I got it!

Here, try this.

You need to work the
pins one by one.

Finesse.

Try again.

Hey dudes, check
out my sweet moves!

The more you screw around,
the longer it takes!

That's quite a racket, getting
those boys to do all the work.

Damn straight, Gramps. They
actually think I can find this treasure.

Hey, Leng Heng!

Show him your book.

I have these dreams sometimes,
where I'm different people.

Probably your past lives.

Look here.

This pagoda is on the
north side of the city.

But it's surrounded
by skyscrapers now.

Hey guys!

Now they're never going to want to
dig for junk again. Thanks a lot.

So how are we
splitting the money?

We aren't. You just get your share
of the treasure when we find it.

Guys, she said there's no split.

Investigations have expenses.

That wasn't the deal...was it?

Do you live around here?

I used to have a shop with
my brother. But he moved out.

We probably won't live here
much longer either.

We're having soup for dinner.

It's my grandma's recipe, and my
sister always makes too much, so...

I'm just going to read for
a while. See you tomorrow.

Ok, I'll go.

...I know you
hate working in the shop,

but it's our only
source of income.

Doctor Sophia is paying us
for grandma's memory study, isn't she?

Get inside, dear.
Dinner's ready.

You could get a job.

The protests I'm organizing are
what's keeping us in this house.

Why does it have to be
you? Somebody else in the community--

Borramey,
that's enough.

Where were you all day?

You're supposed
to watch the girls.

Not chase your
dumb dreams around.

As long as have
each other, we'll be okay.

So tasty!

Let's use that expense
account to get a tuktuk.

That money covers my personal
expenses while I work for you.

But what have you actually done?

It's pretty obvious now that
the drawing was Wat Phnom.

-We could have figured that out ourselves.
-Then why didn't you?

I'm just saying that idea's
not worth half our loot.

You get your share
when you earn it.

I already invested
a whole chicken!

I learned some Bokator moves
off TV so I can be the bodyguard.

Hey, stop that.

We don't even need a bodyguard.

We will once we have all that gold.

Let's check out the AUGR shop.

No way
they'd let us inside.

Speak for yourself.

What, they
have a 'No Jackass' policy?

Leng Heng,
we're on an investigation!

Come on,
the main hall is this way.

Here it is,
just like your drawing.

I brought it here. I'm sure.

Then where is it?

Are you looking for something
in particular, children?

We're on a treasure hunt.

A treasure?

Are you sure this
statue is here?

I'm not sure if it's here now,
but it was a long time ago.

Are either of you augmented?

No, Venerable.

In that case, follow me.

Here it is.

Let's see...

This is the earliest
photo of Wat Phnom.

It was taken by one of the French
colonists' Cambodian translators.

This translator
had the foresight

to photograph
most of the artifacts

before they were
taken by the French--

That's it!

Many relics have been returned,
but this one remains missing.

Likely part of a
private collection.

...they broke up the protest.

I was trying to get her
out before the tear gas.

But in all the commotion...

Mom, what happened to grandma?

She just...fell
out of her chair.

It's not very deep,
and there's no concussion.

I see you brought a friend.

That's Srey Leak.
She's a detective!

I'm just helping Leng Heng
sort out his past lives.

Mom, look! We found
an old photo of the gold

statue from my past lives.

That's lucky.

Come doctor, I'll walk you out.

Are you
staying for dinner?

Yes, thank you ma'am.

Thanks again for
coming on such short notice.

Don't
worry about it.

Does Leng Heng often dream
of his past lives?

He's always had
quite the active imagination.

They think the statue's in France,
but I know it's still here.

I just need to remember where.

And you dear, do you do anything
besides detective work?

Yes ma'am. I sell
cigarettes at the club.

Borramey, can you pass the soup?

Thank you very much.

Are you sure the statue
is still in Cambodia?

It's buried somewhere.
I can feel it.

Thank your mom for dinner.

It looks small.

- That's it though.
- Let me see!

These statues all look the same.

You don't even know where it is.

Not yet, we're still investigating.

This investigation is stupid.

So you'll believe my dreams, but
as soon as I find something real--

Come on, Leng Heng.

They obviously
don't care about finding

a shitload of money.

Hey wait! It
looks like gold to me!

The developers bought Thy's house and
doubled the rent. Don't get mad at him.

If it's out there,
they just need

to know where
and they'll come dig.

This is not the first
time we have met...

When I was little, you could
take a boat out on Boeung Kak lake.

I used to catch so many fish,
you wouldn't believe!

Now this was long before
they filled the lake with sand

and started building
all those skyscrapers.

Sorry, grandma!

They posted
an eviction notice?

Our relocation community is
just fifteen kilometers out of the city.

Obviously we have to
organize another protest.

Hey, where are you two off to?

I think he had another dream!

He says
he hid the statue in a tree,

but I just want to make sure it didn't end
up in some museum archive somewhere.

Here it is, Google Images.

It's going to take a couple
of hours to run the search.

Hey kid, hand
me that dictionary?

Hey Leng Heng!

Here it is.

Now you just need to
find a way to pay me.

Hey, what's with you today?

I narrowed the search

down to just over 200 images.

There's no
computer thing you can do

to make this go faster?

I thought you
wanted to be a detective.

This is the job.

Hey!

Did you have another dream?

Hey, hey!

You have money, kid?

This is why we have
that expense account.

Hurry up. Turn
right here. Faster!

Leng Heng, what do you see?

Ah no! Turn back there!

Faster!

Kids, I
have to turn around.

There's no charging station
for 10 km and I'm not chancing it.

What did you see?

I was going to take
us to the treasure!

I just gave all my
money to that tuktuk.

We're not leaving town without
knowing where we are going.

Let me see.

They help my grandma's
memory, so I thought...

Spit it out.

I already swallowed it.

You're not acting like
yourself, Leng Heng.

Those pills are messing
with your mind.

Put them back.

I have a better idea.

Srey Leak, what if
someone is in there?

It was locked out front, wasn't it?

Ah shit.

They cleared the
whole place out.

I can't
believe they turned my

house into an AUGR café.

These augmented hipsters
are ruining everything.

Well, you know what they say.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Jackpot!

What about this, Leng Heng?

What if you didn't need
to remember your dreams at all?

My mom would kill me
if she found out I came here.

Srey Leak! Where'd you
get these nanobugs?

Did you go back to our shop?--

I didn't come to have a family
moment. We want augments.

You've wanted
this for a while, huh sis?

I guess you are old enough now.

What's this?

"See your dreams"

The nanotransmitters capture video
of whatever you look at.

But you need to
have one of these.

Is that my sister's AUGR?

We're just borrowing it.

Okay...it takes the
nanobugs a few hours...

to replicate from the minerals
in your blood.

You'll probably
feel...a bit weak...

while your bone
marrow catches up...

Okay, all set?

Press here.

Okay buddy, your turn.

Don't chicken out.

Srey Leak, are you sure
he's not already bugged?

Sure I'm sure. He'd
know, wouldn't he?

There's an easy way to check.

With this little guy, here.

The rave's
on an open network.

You must've connected
automatically.

I can't breathe in here.

Calm down, buddy.

I need you to help get my little
sister home, wherever that is now.

Ok?

I'm fine, I can take
care of myself.

Srey Leak, let him help you anyway.

Hey kid!

You need an upgrade.

Your software is more
than a decade old.

He said I was
augmented ten years ago.

Nobody augments babies.
You have to be thirteen.

Everyone knows that.

Why would anybody augment me?
I'm just some kid from Tralok Bek.

Kosal said
it records what you see.

So we're going to use
it to record your dreams.

A camera icon.

So we're going to use
it to record your dreams.

There's something special
about that tree. You've drawn it before.

A hundred years ago, I hid this
gold statue in the trunk.

Who did you hide it from?

From the French--

Mom, what's wrong?

What's wrong with grandma?

Stop! Don't touch it.

It's okay, just
let it cycle down.

It can be dangerous
to power off too quickly.

Is she okay, doctor?

She's fine, but her
brain's building

a resistance to the therapy.

You followed
her? Are you crazy?

She's
a brain doctor.

Your brain is bugged.

You think it's a coincidence?

Vattanak.

Let me help you up.

Come on!

Vattanak, let's go.

Vattanak, let's go!

Faster, Vattanak!

Help me! No!

You
yelled in your sleep,

so I took the AUGR off before you
woke your mom up and she saw it.

Heng!

What did you say?

Vattanak, let me help you up.

He said my name!

Who did?

My big brother.

I buried it here,
under this tree!

This was my previous life!

This is it. Vattanak died and...

Who is Vattanak?

I told you, I heard my name.

Let me see.

I can't see anything.

Take that thing off.

You're supposed to
be keeping watch.

What if she's in there?

If she was, the lock
would be on the inside.

Come on.

This
computer is still on.

What the hell...

Hey, Srey Leak!

These are all my dreams.

"Vattanak"

The doctor
knew you in your past life.

I
need to talk to her.

No.

Think about it.

She figured you're Vattanak's
reincarnation a while ago...

and never told you.

She must be trying to find
the treasure too.

"Dr. Vattanak Sovann"

Born in Cambodia,
but raised in the West,

our next speaker's
unique perspective

has generated stunning
advances in the field

of cognitive neuroscience.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dr. Vattanak Sovann.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I present to you my Connectome.

A digital replica of my consciousness
mapped to the individual neuron.

Through a perfect recollection
of his past lives,

the Buddha understood the
interconnection between all living beings,

and thus gained enlightenment.

Since I was a child in Cambodia,

I could remember glimpses
of my previous incarnations.

I have dedicated my life to making
sense of these memory fragments

to understand as the Buddha did.

My karma led me to America
as a young refugee.

It led me to neuroscience,
led me to build my Connectome.

My Connectome is more than
just a copy of my synapses.

It is a thinking, autonomous entity,
operating beyond human constraints.

I hypothesize that by synchronizing
my brain with my Connectome

I will be able to study the

underlying patterns
of my past lives

and synthesize a sort of
universal enlightenment algorithm.

We cannot know what
this digital nirvana will entail,

but I feel it is my destiny -
my karma - to seek it.

I was a scientist.

This whole book is
about my research into the

memories of my past lives.

-I did experiments on a "Connectome"--
-Stay focused.

Keep translating.

We just need to find out
where you buried that treasure.

You can always read his book once
we save your family's house.

Well, guess what...

It says where he grew up!

I know your eyes.

This is not the first
time we have met.

Nor will it be the last.

Vattanak! Hurry up!

Wake up!

Put your clothes on, we're late.

Dr. Sophia is waiting.

What does she want with me?

She offered us compensation if you
participate in one of her studies.

Why me?

I'm not so sure, myself.

Welcome.

Thank you.

This way, please.

I came to Cambodia
fourteen years ago

to work with Dr. Sovann on his
research of human memory

in this very laboratory.

Vattanak was a brilliant scientist.

But he was also an artist,

and like Leng Heng, he
painted his dreams.

Vattanak and your son
share the same memories.

Leng Heng will have to
stay here for the duration of the study.

He would be under my care.

I'll have to
discuss this with him.

Yes, of course.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, doctor.

You look beautiful, dear.

Borramey just lent me
one of her old silks.

The rest of you still need to get
ready, we have to leave soon.

Where were you all day?

We have an expedition to plan.

Do's getting the guys
together tonight.

Aren't you excited?

Yes, of course.

We gather together tonight
under the light of the full moon.

A very auspicious day
in our tradition.

On Meak Bochea, we
celebrate the Sangha,

the community that has passed down
teachings of the Enlightened One

from one generation to the next.

Although your homes
may soon be lost,

the most important thing is,

we will always
support each other.

For our destinies
are bound together.

We are as one.

We are really being
forced out of the city.

Leng Heng and I are
going to dig up this treasure tomorrow.

Are you in or out?

See guys! I told you they found it.

Prove it.

We found my last life. I know
his name, where he grew up,

and where he
buried the treasure!

Here it is.

It says here Vattanak survived
the American bombing of his village

in "Takeo, Cambodia."

It's two hours
south of the city.

Okay, I'm in.

It's a long ride down there.

Time to go all in.

Don't look at me. My mom's already
making me pay her for that chicken.

I told you we needed
that expense account, didn't I?

This prototype you
designed is quite impressive.

I've known the nano-transmitters
could read neural data from the brain,

but I never thought of using them
to write data back.

You just needed the right hardware.

In any case, it's a real godsend
you invited me here, Professor.

I've been dying to
do a human trial,

to explore the full potential
of my device.

That's why you're here.

You're really the only one doing
anything truly revolutionary in the field.

The next
step on the path.

How much of that science stuff
do you understand?

It all just kind of makes sense.

We're gonna find a treasure!

Fills me up with pleasure!

We're gonna find a treasure...

Hey man, stop the cart!

Are you
sure this is the place?

Yes, I can feel it.

How much will all that
gold be worth, anyway?

We've got to
find it first, idiot.

I'm gonna get a cloned tiger!

Heng, look! It's the stupa
from your drawings!

Let me help you up.

Leng Heng.

Do you see something?

I lost my whole family
right over there.

You didn't. Vattanak did.

Look!

It's all rusty, but
this was mine.

Right where I left it.

Hey! Where the
hell should we dig?

Right here.

I want to amend our deal.

I want 40%, plus this knife.

That knife...

it's kind of the only thing we've
found so far from my past lives.

I guess you should keep it.

No, you have it.

I found what I needed.

We found something!

It's just old wood.

Instead of deeper, we should make
the hole wider to cover more ground.

Hey guys, dinner
is ready. Come eat!

Good, I'm hungry as shit.

Perfect timing.

I have been searching
- seeking - my whole life.

And now, finally, we meet.

I am ready.

Synchronization is
complete. Trial number 17 is winding down.

Vattanak, it actually worked!

You and your Connectome
were completely synchronized.

We are going to change the world
with this technology.

The Connectome wants more data.

Ok, we'll get you back in as soon
as the refractory period is over.

No, it already has a complete copy
of my neural systems.

The memories of my present life

are too tangled up with
the memories of my past lives.

The Connectome
has shown me this.

There's no way to study the roots without
pulling up the tree and killing it.

We need a fresh start.

You're talking about monitoring
the brain from birth.

More like planting a seed,

waiting patiently,

and after maturation,
harvesting the fruits.

Our work here will be of
great benefit to humanity.

Of course, we will have
to plant many seeds

to ensure that one will grow.

Did we find the treasure?

Get the others up,
let's get out of here.

Maybe we just missed
something in one of your dreams.

My dreams weren't real.

What do you mean?
We followed them here...

I don't think that Vattanak's dead.

How could he not be dead
if you're his reincarnation?

I don't know!

The treasure hunt is over.

What?!

Your family needed this treasure.
And your friends!

Did you know there wasn't a
treasure before we came out here?

We're all disappointed, asshole.
You're the one giving up.

Leng Heng.

Time for bed.

I had the most beautiful dream.

Yes, mom.

Hello.

Hello.

Thank you.

Thank you for allowing
your son to help me with my research.

It was his decision.

Thank you, Leng Heng.

Let's go, dear.

I'll see you in a
couple of weeks.

Are these
from old phones?

I haven't found
a drive in weeks.

I want to meet him.

That's why you're here.

Where'd you go, Leng Heng?

It's okay.

You're okay.

He wants me to come back.

He said that to you?

No.

How much for this?

Is it stolen?

It's locked.

If you got someone to hack it,
maybe I could sell it.

The security on those
first gen AUGRs was full of exploits.

Lucky you got an old one.

You want me to wipe its memory or
just reset the configuration file?

Don't delete anything.

Okay, Leng Heng. Let's see what you
missed in these dreams of yours.

Looks like we're
going to Takeo, huh.

Leng Heng, come have some tea.

Your family needed this treasure.
And your friends!

Very good, Leng Heng.

We are getting closer.

In order to take the final
step, we must bring our

minds into perfect alignment.

Let us run the loop again.

Life after life, we are reborn.

Passed like a flame from
one candle to the next.

Driven forward by
the wheel of karma.

Developing, advancing, progressing
toward the ultimate goal.

My karma led me to
build the Connectome.

It is the sum of all of my past
lives, not bound by human form.

But, like me, it is incomplete.

This is why I planted
my memories in your pure mind.

There, they have grown into
the most exquisite tree.

A perfect record of every
past life I have lived.

I have been preparing myself,
disconnecting from the physical world.

And now that you're here,
we can take the final step.

We will synchronize our minds
with the Connectome

and enter the realm
of the infinite.

But first, we must train our minds.

Now, begin again.

Begin... begin again...

You said Leng
Heng asked for me.

He did... through
these sketches.

He stopped speaking a while ago.

I went to his house.

I thought he left
town with his family.

Leng Heng has slipped from
reality, just like Vattanak did.

I hope that having you here
will keep him... grounded.

Come, he's waiting.

Do you really think Leng Heng will
be able to wake Vattanak up?

When I connected them,

Vattanak's neural activity spiked
for the first time in ten years.

So I'm hopeful, yes.

You came.

Of course I came, idiot.

Listen, I don't care about
the treasure anymore.

I just want my friend back.

Leng Heng, come home.

I don't care
about the treasure.

I just want my friend back.

Come home, Leng Heng. Come home.

Where are you going?

You want to know who you are.

I will tell you.

You happened to be born in the hospital
where I was conducting my research.

Of all the children we injected,

you are the first child in which
the tree of my memories took root.

And so you have been chosen by fate
for the enlightenment of mankind.

You and I are linked.

Linked by karma.

Wait!

I want to meet your machine.

The one with perfect memory.

Careful!
The Connectome

requires a higher voltage.

We have been waiting
for you, Leng Heng.

You recognize me?

We recognize ourselves in you.

You are the computer that put
Vattanak's memories into my head.

Yes.

I want you to take Vattanak's
memories out of my head.

Yes.

The data is ready
to be extracted.

What?

Stop!

I found what I needed.

...there's an order
to the activity.

It's as if the Connectome is
indexing the boy's memory.

No, I recognize this type of
degeneration from my Alzheimer's patients.

It's erasing his memory.

It's erasing him?

We must pull the tree
up by the roots.

Seeing our memories
refracted through this pure mind...

we are becoming...

...enlightened.

I am the owner of my karma.
Heir to my karma.

Born of my karma.

Whatever I do, for good or evil

to that I will fall heir.

I am sorry.

Sit down.

The memory extraction
is almost complete.

You have to stop this!

Stop!

I know your eyes.

This memory has been extracted.

No.

Vattanak's memory of this moment
has been extracted.

But buried beneath it

I remember

standing here

as another man.

I told you we would meet again

in another life...

RELOCATION COMMUNITY

Leng
Heng, you're back!

Mom, Leng Heng is here!

Leng Heng!

It's so good to have
you back, dear.

Srey Leak, come on!