On the eve of the Kingdom of Bhutan’s momentous transition to democracy in 2006, a monk sets off on a mysterious quest for his master, while an American collector arrives in a small town searching for a rare, valuable artefact. Director Pawo Choyning Dorji’s debut film, the first Oscar-nominated Bhutanese film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, was a heartwarming, tranquil vision of rural life in the Himalayas. The Monk and the Gun is equally attuned to seeking simple, profound truths; an entertaining tale about the conflict between tradition and progress and a gentle ensemble drama interwoven with an entertaining comedy of manners and socio-political commentary. The Monk and the Gun shows the intricate dynamics of Bhutan’s cultural bonds, and not only tells a great story with its cast of colourful characters, but speaks to the warmth at the heart of the country itself.
Relaxed yet perceptive, The Monk And the Gun is a freewheeling convergence of modernity and tradition, the urban and the rural.
Screen International
Media Partner
Tandin Wangchuk, Deki Lhamo, Pema Zangmo Sherpa, Tandin Sonam, Harry Einhorn
Bhutan/France/USA/Taiwan
2023
Showcase
In Dzongkha and English with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Screenwriter
Pawo Choyning Dorji
Cinematography
Jigmé T. Tenzing
Editor
Hsiao-Yun Ku
Original Music
Frédéric Alvarez
Director
Pawo Choyning Dorji
Pawo Choyning Dorji is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker from the Kingdom of Bhutan. Pawo’s introduction to film came in 2012 when he worked as Khyentse Norbu’s assistant for Vara: a Blessing. In 2016 he produced Norbu’s critically acclaimed Bhutanese feature Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait. The film had its world premiere at the 69th Festival del film Locarno. His directing debut Lunana: a Yak in the Classroom was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best International Feature in 2021, the first Bhutanese film to be so recognized.
Filmography: Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2021)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Hockney
An engaging, insightful and inspiring film portrait of the late great British and California artist. He’s one of the most accessible figurative painters of the last half century, but look closer, there’s much more to David Hockney than meets the eye.
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
A chart topping pop star as one half of Peter and Gordon, Peter Asher was brother to Jane, brother in law to Paul McCartney, ran the Beatles' Apple, produced and managed James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and 10,000 Maniacs, to name just a few. He did it all.
Democracy Under Siege
As the USA turns 250, Oscar-nominated director Laura Nix considers the roots of the current political crisis with commentary from historian Heather Cox Richardson, progressive politician Jamie Raskin, and cartoonist Ann Telnaes, among others.
Malcolm X
In an indelible role, Denzel Washington give us a layered, compassionate, conflicted man who finds the strength in Islam to transcend his demons and confront the inequity and racism in America head-on. Along with Do the Right Thing, this is Spike Lee's greatest film.