Director Pawo Choyning Dorji’s dramedy in English and Dzongkha is set in 2006, when the Kingdom of Bhutan became a democracy. Up in the serene mountains, an old lama, fearful about the abdication of the kingdom’s beloved monarch, instructs a monk to get a very specific pair of weapons to face the coming changes. At the same time, an American antique weapons collector lands in Bhutan in search of a valuable rifle that falls into the monk’s hands. The film, a co-production between Bhutan, Taiwan, France, the United States, and Hong Kong, is a timely political satire that underscores the fragility of democracy.
“An unexpectedly suspenseful shaggy dog story, as well as a pretty funny one, with subtly pointed barbs about American politics.” — Michael O'Sullivan, The Washington Post
“A droll, shrewdly satirical fable, in which Western values crash against a seemingly intransigent (but potentially more enlightened) South Asian culture.” — Peter Debruge, Variety
directed by
Pawo Choyning Dorji
Pawo Choyning Dorji
written by
Pawo Choyning Dorji
Pawo Choyning Dorji
with
Harry Einhorn, Tandin Wangchuk, Tandin Sonam
Harry Einhorn, Tandin Wangchuk, Tandin Sonam
language
English, Dzongkha (with English subtitles)
English, Dzongkha (with English subtitles)
country
Bhutan, Taiwan, France, United States, Hong Kong
Bhutan, Taiwan, France, United States, Hong Kong