In the end, the only thing of any interest is the paths people take. The tragic part is that even when they know where they're going and who they are. Everything is still a mystery. And that mystery, forever unsolved, is life.
Only foreign hands can extract exotic allure out of cultural triteness. Artfully directed and strongly played, even the most grotesque rituals appear fascinating. The heaviness of history itself needs no narrative tricks, but maybe dual language?