The Monk

A young boy Zawana enters a small village monastery led by U Dahma. Being young and playful, Zawana, just like other novices, finds it hard to abide by monastic rules. He has doubts if this lifestyle is right for him, but as time goes on, he grows to like the old, lenient abbot. When the monastery faces financial crisis, monks are leaving, and on top of that U Dahma gets sick. Somebody must take care of him and the whole community – and Zawana understands that he has to take the challenge. Filmed in semi documentary style with amateur actors, the debut feature film from multi-talented artist The Maw Naing, The Monk gives us a raw and honest insight into the life of meditation and spirituality struggling to survive in the poverty of rural Myanmar.