THE MONK AND THE GUN

Kingdom of Bhutan, 2006. Modernization has finally arrived. Bhutan becomes the last country in the world to connect to the internet and television, and now the biggest change of all: democracy. But this means holding an election, a foreign concept and not one people are readily embracing. To teach people how to vote, the authorities have organized a mock election, but the locals remain unconvinced. Traveling to rural Bhutan where religion is more popular than politics, the election supervisor discovers that the village Lama (Buddhist teacher) is planning a mysterious ceremony for the same day as the voting. Curiously, the Lama has sent a monk in search of two guns. Meanwhile, an American has come to Bhutan hoping to purchase a rare Civil War rifle, for which he’s willing to pay a huge sum of money. With guns being virtually non-existent in Bhutan, the monk and antique dealer, are both vying for the same gun.

Directed and written by Pawo Choyning Dorji, who also helmed 2019’s Oscar-nominated Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, the film is a touching and engaging parable about embracing the future while still holding onto the past. The Monk and the Gun is Bhutan’s submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature.

106 min.