THE MONK AND THE GUN

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Storyline (warning: spoilers)

Compared to other countries, the Bhutanese cinema industry is still very much in its emergent, phase; the first feature film from this landlocked country was Gasa Lamai Singye in 1989. One of the leading figures in this still blossoming era is Pawo Choyning Dorji, who returns with his second feature film The Monk and the Gun, following on from the Oscar-nominated success of Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019). Slightly wider in scale than Lunana yet still maintaining a gorgeous, breezy charm, The Monk and the Gun reaffirms Dorji as a leading light in world cinema, a voice with a lot to say and a charming and unique way of delivering it.
The year is 2006. Bhutan is about to become the world’s youngest democracy. Dorji encapsulates the feelings of many Bhutanese people at this sudden societal change announced by their abdicating king by honing in on a small rural town called Ura. The Monk and the Gun justifies its title by a lama requesting two guns from his monk Tashi (Tandin Wangchuk) for mysterious reasons. When an American gun collector (Harry Einhorn) shows up in town searching for said gun, we see Dorji’s satirical side flourish; The Monk and the Gun is as much a celebration and representation of Bhutan as it is a cutting treatise on Western influence and involvement. The Monk and the Gun perfectly captures why democracy—a given for so many countries in the world and an undeniable human right—was met with such trepidation in Bhutan. Dorji keenly observes the villagers’ reservations: they love the king, so why disrupt their lives that work so well already? As more come around to the idea, Dorji never loses sight of this genuine goodness inherent within the villagers; their opposition to democracy isn’t for any bad reason, rather it is a completely alien concept to them.
The Monk and the Gun never loses dramatic impetus, especially in its fascinating climax. This is a film that grows stronger, with Dorji more assured once each character has been introduced. The Monk and the Gun is a concise but formidable lesson in Bhutanese modern history, but moreover, it is a reminder that people can coexist peacefully, away from violence or evil.