The Monk and The Gun [PG]
BREC CineSaver Pass One Pass, Five Entries: Full: $85 | Conc/Student: $75
For the best value on your cinema tickets, purchase a BREC CineSaver Pass, valid for 5 entries to any of the BREC International Film Festival screenings in 2025!
BREC CineSaver Passes can be purchased online, or via the BREC Box Office on 1300 661 272.
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DIRECTOR: Kazuhiro Soda
COUNTRY: Japan
LANGUAGE: Japanese with subtitles
GENRE: Documentary
CLASSIFICATION: CTC
RUN TIME: 119 mins
The Monk and The Gun [PG]
Kingdom of Bhutan, 2006. Modernisation has finally arrived. Bhutan becomes the last country in the world to connect to the internet and television, and now the biggest change of all: democracy.
This delightfully droll and slyly satirical film from Pawo Choyning Dorji, the director of LUNANA, A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM, takes place in rural Bhutan during the lead-up to his country’s first-ever election. A trial run with fictional parties is planned to introduce voters to the concept of democracy, but the locals seem unconvinced. And when a dedicated young monk is asked by his elderly lama to bring him two guns before voting begins, it seems trouble is in store.
A cavalcade of characters and misadventures ensue as an American gun collector seeks a rare American Civil War rifle that has seemingly disappeared, and the election supervisor discovers that a monk is planning a mysterious ceremony for the election day.
“Modestly scaled, lightly comic and blithely ingratiating…”
– New York Times
“In a place whose greatest aim is its population’s happiness, Dorji’s The Monk and the Gun contemplates whether complete modernisation of his country is worth the price of this very happiness”
– RogerEbert.com
“Who’ll get the gun? The rest of the plot is best left unspoiled, but you can be sure Dorji finds a way to tie his threads together in a way both comic and biting, both entertaining and provocative.”
– Associated Press
“An unexpectedly suspenseful shaggy dog story, as well as a pretty funny one, with subtly pointed barbs about American politics”
– The Washington Post
“Relaxed yet perceptive, The Monk and The Gun is a freewheeling convergence of modernity and tradition, the urban and the rural.”
– Screen International
Tromsø International Film Festival | 2024 Winner | Norwegian Peace Film Award
Fribourg International Film Festival | 2024 Nominee | Grand Prix | International Competition
Fribourg International Film Festival | 2024 Winner | Audience Award | Feature Film
Palm Springs International Film Festival | 2024 Nominee | Best Foreign Language Film
Vancouver International Film Festival | 2023 Winner | Audience Award | Showcase
Rome Film Fest | 2023 Winner | Special Jury Award | Best Film
Mumbai Film Festival | 2023 Winner | Audience Choice Award
Illuminate Film Festival | 2023 Winner | Director’s Choice
Ticket Prices
Full: $19
Conc/Student: $17
Under 18: $12
Group 8: $14
BREC CineSaver Pass
One Pass, Five Entries
Full: $85
Concession/Student: $75
For the best value on your cinema tickets, purchase a BREC CineSaver Pass, valid for 5 entries to any BREC International Film Festival screening in 2025!
BREC CineSaver Passes can be purchased online, or via the BREC Box Office on 1300 661 272.
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Book online and head straight upstairs to the Sky Bar where you can soak up the Festival Hub atmosphere until the theatre opens.
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Tickets & Venue Info
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Sip on refreshing drinks, indulge in your favourite movie snacks, and treat yourself to our famous toasted paninis. Arrive early or linger after the film to soak up the ambience. Whatever your plans, the Festival Hub is your place to relax, connect with fellow film lovers, and let the magic of cinema carry you away.
