This one is a discreet little charmer and apparently the first film ever produced in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, probably one of the world's most isolated countries and inevitably a high-priced destination for upscale yuppie travelers. Directed and written by first-time filmmaker Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche (a.k.a. Khyentse Norbu), the third incarnation of a 19th-century lama, this featherweight 1999 family-oriented comedy is about the impact of cultural change to a semi-cloistered Buddhist monastery-in-exile in northern India. Paul Warren's colorful cinematography captures the images of a beautiful country, but the movie is far more enjoyable than a National Geographic-style travelogue.
The fact-based story centers on Orgyen, a soccer-obsessed 14 year-old boy living at the monastery. So caught up in World Cup fever during the summer of 1998, he sneaks sneak out of the monastery at night to catch satellite broadcasts of the semi-final matches in a neighboring village. Forbidden by the elders to continue his viewing in town, Orgyen and his friend Lodo uses all their wiles to get a satellite dish for the monastery much to the consternation of the abbot and his second-in-command preceptor. Time is of the essence since the TV needs to work in time for the final match between Brazil and the favorite of the monks, France.
What is refreshing is how the exotic locale lends itself to the comical hijinks without sacrificing the authenticity of the Buddhist culture portrayed. Norbu was able to coax the entire Chokling monastery to participate in the film, and the non-professional cast is perfectly decent delivering their obviously just-memorized lines of dialogue. Jamyang Lodro is particularly winning as Orgyen. It all reminds me a bit of the 1980 Coke bottle-from-heaven comedy, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and also the second son's TV obsession in last year's Mongolian documentary, "The Story of the Weeping Camel". The visual quality on the DVD is excellent. There are no extras included.
The fact-based story centers on Orgyen, a soccer-obsessed 14 year-old boy living at the monastery. So caught up in World Cup fever during the summer of 1998, he sneaks sneak out of the monastery at night to catch satellite broadcasts of the semi-final matches in a neighboring village. Forbidden by the elders to continue his viewing in town, Orgyen and his friend Lodo uses all their wiles to get a satellite dish for the monastery much to the consternation of the abbot and his second-in-command preceptor. Time is of the essence since the TV needs to work in time for the final match between Brazil and the favorite of the monks, France.
What is refreshing is how the exotic locale lends itself to the comical hijinks without sacrificing the authenticity of the Buddhist culture portrayed. Norbu was able to coax the entire Chokling monastery to participate in the film, and the non-professional cast is perfectly decent delivering their obviously just-memorized lines of dialogue. Jamyang Lodro is particularly winning as Orgyen. It all reminds me a bit of the 1980 Coke bottle-from-heaven comedy, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and also the second son's TV obsession in last year's Mongolian documentary, "The Story of the Weeping Camel". The visual quality on the DVD is excellent. There are no extras included.