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
The Road to Patagonia
A travelogue, an eco doc, an adventure movie and a love story, The Road to Patagonia chronicles filmmaker and ecologist Mayy Hannon's 50,000 km expedition from Alaska to the tip of Chile (via Vancouver Island), on motorbike, horse, and surfboard.
Sex
Two chimney sweeps living in heterosexual marriages find their views on sexuality and gender challenged by a series of unexpected events. In a set of sharply scripted conversations, both men confront heretofore unexplored aspects of their identity.
Love
This warm, thoughtful piece offers shrewd comic observations on modern dating as it trains a quizzical eye on the trysts of a female doctor, Marianne (Andrea Bræin Hovig), and her colleague, a gay male nurse, Tor (Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen).
3 Faces
Iranian filmmaker Panahi and actress Behnaz Jafari, both playing themselves, receive a video in which a distraught teenaged girl, whose acting dreams have been quashed appears to kill herself. Panahi and Jafari decide to investigate...
Dreams
The third installment in the Sex/Dreams/Love trilogy is another rich, absorbing tale. 17-year-old Johanne writes a confessional about her flirtation with a (female) teacher. But the writing is too good to stay private...