Images courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
It’s 2006, and the people of Bhutan are about to discover democracy.
Director Pawo Choyning Dorji presents a piece of politically charged poetry set in a time shortly after Bhutan’s introduction to television and the internet, when the king announces that he will be ceding his power and allowing the people to choose a leader.
It is the government’s job to educate its people in the process of an election, and so a mock election is organized with three faux parties: red, blue and yellow. But the people of Bhutan, who have lived in a land renowned for its “Gross National Happiness Index,” are resistant to change, and the road to democracy may be more difficult than is initially expected.
“The Monk and the Gun” follows three stories: a man (Tandin Sonam) who has taken a job as a guide for a gun collector (Harry Einhorn) to pay his bills; a family that is splintering under the weight of competitive scorn from the mock election; and a monk (Tandin Wangchuk) on a journey to find a gun. If the idea of a monk with a gun puzzles you, then you know how the Bhutanese citizens feel when told they must choose a new leader. “But we already have a leader,” says one.
But democracy is an exciting prospect, one that people have killed for. So, the story unfolds, ploddingly (as any plot centered on a society that has just discovered the internet should—let the people have their moment of calm before the storm), with the characters of each story bumping into one another in an altogether satirically satisfying way, until they reach the day of the mock election. The comedy is prevalent, yet so quiet that you will question whether Dorji wants you to be amused or discomfited.
A story like this almost provides a devil’s advocate for democracy—the idea is pure and idyllic, but at what cost to achieve it? At the very least, the film is a shrewd critique of what we perceive as normal in the West and a lovely way to shake an audience into placing themselves in another culture’s perspective.
The cast is small and relatively unknown—some of them are not even actors (the young monk is played by the lead singer of a rock band, and his lama is played by an actual lama, Kelsang Choejay). But what the film lacks in celebrity, it more than makes up for in heart. Honestly, every American citizen would benefit from seeing “The Monk and the Gun,” especially given the political and social climate we’ve had as of late.
“The Monk and the Gun” will play at Midtown Cinema in February. Don’t miss this gem of a film.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
February Events
At Midtown Cinema
First-Run Film Openings
“The Monk and the Gun”
Feb. 9
“The Taste of Things”
Feb. 14
“Oscar Nominated Shorts”
Feb. 16
“Drive Away Dolls”
Feb. 23
Down in Front! comedy riffing
“Mitchell” (1975)
Friday, Feb. 9 at 9:30ish
3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Cruel Intentions” (1999)
Friday, Feb. 16 at 9:30 p.m.
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