Rating: PG-13 | Runtime: 107 minutes
Release Date: October 17th, 2023 (Bhutan) / February 9th, 2024 (USA)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
Director(s): Pawo Choyning Dorji
Writer(s): Pawo Choyning Dorji

Why would a monk take our gun?

Democracies are fought for and won. They are’t given. At least that’s how we think about them coming from the western world’s lust for power and control. To have a king not only be benevolent but also selfless enough to choose to abdicate his thrown in order to pull his country into modern times by way of elections is almost unthinkable. The people in rural Bhutan—as depicted in Pawo Choyning Dorji’s The Monk and the Gun—were so happy with their lives under their monarch’s reign that the prospect of elections is now the cause of discontent.

Think about it. Life was good for the Bhutanese. Simple, but good. Yes, it could be better and will assuredly get better by opening the borders to technology like the internet (in 2006 no less), but the residents who don’t know what they’re missing aren’t going to be clamoring to voluntarily risk making things worse. They don’t therefore want to vote for strangers making promises. They want to keep the man they know and love and trust to keep their best interests at heart. How then do they reconcile that these elections are his doing towards those means?

The answer: teach them. That’s Tshering’s (Pema Zangmo Sherpa) job upon arrival in Ura. She’s to oversee mock elections meant to get this small community ready and educated for the real thing. But the lessons learned aren’t solely for the voters. She must learn some too by listening to the disconnect so the new government can hopefully work to bridge the divide. She must see the hardships this metamorphosis can create through Tshomo (Deki Lhamo) and her family’s sudden fracturing over political lines that never existed before. The tribalism seen today in America has sprouted overnight.

That’s only one theme on-screen, though. Dorji uses the backdrop of this event to both document its auspicious time and facilitate dramatic preconceptions and suspense. He does this through Tashi (Tandin Wangchuk), a monk serving Ura’s Lama—a man who sees this change as the potential evil force it could become. As such, he tasks Tashi with finding him two guns for a “ceremony” to be held on the next full moon. It’s a nearly impossible ask since guns aren’t prevalent in the country beyond law enforcement and the one person who might have one has already promised it to a foreigner.

So, amidst the suspense and mystery as far as whether the Lama plans to assassinate someone also lies the comedy of two parties vying for the same gun. And being that this is Bhutan and not America, Ron (Harry Einhorn) and his guide Benji (Tandin Sonam) are at a disadvantage despite offering an insane amount of money since no currency is more valuable to the people of Ura than pious reverence. The film becomes a sort of race against time as a result. Can Ron and Benji procure what Tashi needs to give up his claim before it’s too late?

The result is a smart, witty, and insightful piece of international cinema that works immensely well for a western audience. I’d argue a lot of the set-up is based upon how an American audience would infer upon the action rather than someone from Bhutan. How Dorji presents Tashi’s mission begs for us to jump to conclusions and how it all gets resolved is very much structured in a way that teaches us as outsiders a lesson rather than the Bhutanese characters themselves. It’s a great dual threat as the story surrounding Tshomo sets its sights internally while the one centering Ron points outside.

Add the gorgeous landscapes, humorous supporting cast (Tandin Phubz’s Phurba is an absolute delight as Tshering’s innocent and curious assistant), and a fantastic final reveal that expertly renders the threads to make it happen authentic rather than manipulative and it’s no wonder The Monk and the Gun made the International Oscar shortlist on the heels of Dorji’s previous film’s (the equally wonderful Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom) nomination. There’s so much light and heart and hope that you can’t help but find yourself with a smile on your face throughout.

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Tandin Sonam, Tandin Wangchuk, Kelsang Choejey, and Pema Zangpo Sherpa in THE MONK AND THE GUN; courtesy of Roadside Attractions.