When Pawo Choyning Dorji launched his filmmaking career with 2021’s Oscar-nominated hit “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom,” his ability to capture the nuances of life in Bhutan was instantly apparent. His sophomore feature, “The Monk and the Gun,” continues his artistic exploration of the evolving South Asian nation.
The film takes place in 2008 during the run-up to Bhutan’s first democratic elections, following the residents of a small Bhutanese village as the unstoppable wave of Western pop culture and values begins to wash over the residents’ lives. As villagers are taught how to vote, a lama asks one of his monks to bring him a rare antique rifle at the same time that a wealthy American gun collector attempts to purchase it. The film becomes a timely call to use nonviolence as a cornerstone when building a new form of government.
While the success of “Lunana” opened doors for Dorji to make films with bigger budgets and casts, he explained in a recent interview with IndieWire that it was important to tell this story on a scale that reflected the realities of life in Bhutan.
“I still wanted to keep the production of this film something that is more relatable to Bhutan,” he said. “I didn’t want to cast someone so famous, and then suddenly have the story be about ‘oh, he went to make a film in Bhutan.’ It’s not about the story I’m trying to tell, which is about change and transition and the loss of innocence through in the mid-2000s.”
“The Monk and the Gun” premiered at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, where it was met with positive reviews from critics.
“Much like Dorji’s breakout feature “Lunana: The Yak in the Classroom,” it documents the ongoing modernization of Bhutan with a mix of genuine optimism and healthy skepticism,” IndieWire’s review of the film said. “The good intentions of the election organizers are apparent, but the filmmaker seems to have internalized a lesson that the world has spent much of the 21st century learning — democracy can’t be imposed on a nation from the top down if the people don’t want it yet. Dorji’s gaze sees his evolving nation the way a parent might look at a young child: capable of anything in the long run, as long as the right steps are taken in the short term.”
Roadside Attractions will release “The Monk and The Gun” in February 2024. Watch the trailer below.
