Man holding a skull in a forest; camera in foreground capturing him in a robe garb.

International Competition

The Monk

(Munken)

A prominent Danish scientist abandons his career and family to spend the rest of his life in Buddhist meditation on a Sri Lankan mountaintop. But rifts gradually emerge in this seemingly idyllic tale of rejection of Western society.

Jan previously headed a team of Danish researchers developing a cure for HIV. One day he decides to burn all his bridges, become a Buddhist monk and take on a new name and identity. Two documentarists join him in his humble Sri Lankan house to film his portrait, but the project encounters complications. The filmmakers later meet Jan’s son Thor, who decides to find answers to the questions surrounding his father’s disappearance. Together, they gradually discover that not all suffering in the world can by cured by a radical change.

03/21 18:00

Bio Oko, Františka Křížka 460/15, Praha 7

Discussion
Mira Jargil, Director
Christian Sønderby Jepsen, Director
Lea Petříková, Moderator

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03/23 19:45

Evald, Národní 28, Praha 1

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03/27 20:30

Kino Pilotů - kinosál A, Donská 168/189, Praha 10

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Title	The Monk
Original Title	Munken
Original Language	Danish, English
Subtitles	Czech, English
Premiéra	Czech premiere
Film type	Full-length documentary
Year of Production	2023
Country of Origin	Denmark, Netherlands
Length	90 min.
Tags	Lifestyle, Spirituality, Europe
Director	Mira Jargil, Christian Sønderby Jepsen

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