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The Monk and the Gun

Submissions for Best International Feature (Academy Awards 2024)

2023

Pawo Choyning Dorji

Harry Einhorn, Tandin Wangchuk, Tandin Phubz, Choeying Jatsho ...

6.7

Drama. Adventure An American who travels into Bhutan in search of a treasure and crosses path with a young monk who wanders through the serene mountains, instructed by his teacher to make things right again.

	Media	Author	Review
		Christian Zilko IndieWire	"[It] offers another delicate take on the modernization of Bhutan"
		Stephen Farber The Hollywood Reporter	Anyone who wants to travel the world — vicariously, of course — will get a kick out of 'The Monk and the Gun' (...) the storytelling is lively and piquant, demonstrating the director’s sense of humor and sharp observational skills"
		Robert Daniels Screendaily	"Delightfully blending political satire and the Western genre (...) Dorji’s crowd-pleasing film should prove approachable enough to warm both critics and adventurous audiences."
		Brian Farvour The Playlist	"It’s very clear the director seems to have an idea of what he’s doing, even if the final product simply is not very entertaining or interesting"
		Peter Debruge Variety	"A droll, shrewdly satirical fable, in which Western values crash against a seemingly intransigent (but potentially more enlightened) South Asian culture"
		Michael O'Sullivan The Washington Post	"A sly satire of democracy’s perils (...) [it] has much to say about the divisions of contemporary America (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Ross McIndoe Slant	"[It] draws plenty of humor from a collision of attitudes and ideas (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Robert Abele Los Angeles Times	"That was undoubtedly what Pawo Choyning Dorji had in mind when he winked this second feature into existence, teasing us with signposts of violence and wisdom before winning us over with a minimalist, serenely offbeat comedy"
		Marya E. Gates rogerebert.com	"A droll political satire set in the year 2006 as the Kingdom of Bhutan transitions towards becoming the world’s youngest democracy (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Ferdosa Abdi Screen Rant	"A vibrant, dynamic cautionary tale that is funny and holds your attention (...) Rating: ★★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Josh Flanders Chicago Reader	"A quiet and hopeful Bhutanese dramedy"

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