Cast: Jamang Lodro, Neten Chokling, Lama Chonjor, Orgyen Tobygal
Director: Khyentse Norbu
Producers: Malcolm Watson, Raymond Steiner
Screenplay: Khyentse Norbu
Cinematography: Paul Warren
Music: Douglas Mills
U.S. Distributor: Fine Line Features
In Bhutanese with subtitles
Admittedly, films made in Bhutan don't come along every day. In fact, according to everything I have been able to research, this is the first motion picture ever to emerge from the tiny central Asian country. Writer/director Khyentse Norbu, recognized in Buddhist culture as the incarnation of a nineteenth century Tibetan saint, managed to gain the cooperation of the entire populace of the Chokling Tibetan Monastery-in-exile, where his movie was filmed. Thus, in addition to being charming and uplifting, The Cup possesses an undeniable sense of verisimilitude, and many of the performances are so unaffected that it's difficult to believe the men giving them aren't professional actors.
With its blend of humor and light drama, The Cup is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, although its somewhat exotic locale will limit the number of people who attend North American theaters to see it. More's the pity, because one of the film's great strength is the insight it offers into life behind the cloistered walls of the Chokling Monastery. Because of his revered status in the Buddhist community, Norbu was able to gain the confidence and cooperation of everyone living there, including the abbot. As a result, his movie presents a candid view of how monks and monks-in-training live. Perhaps surprisingly, things aren't that different from any other closed society, such as a private, all-boys school or a Catholic seminary.
Many films about Tibet and its people have been highly politicized. This is not one of those. While it would be disingenuous to claim that the movie is entirely apolitical, The Cup does not hammer its audience with anti-Chinese propaganda. During the course of the film, the Chokling Monastery accepts two persecuted Tibetan nationals who flee their country, and the abbot expresses an almost daily desire to return to his homeland, but that's about it. Also, while three recent, prominent Western movies about Buddhism (Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha, Jean Jacques Annaud's Seven Years in Tibet, and Martin Scorsese's Kundun) have featured stunning visuals, none has been as touching or dramatically effective as The Cup.
The story centers on Orygen (Jamang Lodro), a 14-year old monk-in-training with an unquenchable passion for soccer. During the 1998 World Cup, Orygen and several cohorts sneak out of the monastery by night and make their way to a shop in the local town where they can watch the matches. Eventually, they are caught and punished by Geko (Orgyen Tobygal, Lodro's real-life father), the monastery's disciplinarian. Undeterred, however, Orygen comes up with a scheme to bring the World Cup Final to within the walls of the monastery. There are several pitfalls, chief of which are raising the necessary money and persuading the abbot, who can't understand why "two civilized nations are fighting over a ball", to agree to his plan.
One of the prominent subjects embraced by this film is the culture clash between existence within the safe confines of the monastery and life in the outside world. Because of their relative seclusion, the monks have been able to resist the temptations of technology and many of the lures of civilization, but Orygen's dogged persistence gradually brings 20th century influences to within the sequestered community. Not even monks can live in complete isolation, nor, as the film indicates, would they necessarily want to.
Norbu openly admits that this is a slow-moving film (in fact, before a sold-out screening at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, he proclaimed that he would not be offended if anyone fell asleep), but the pace is necessary to set the tone and develop the protagonists as believable individuals. Nevertheless, this is not a motion picture for those with short attention spans. From start to finish, The Cup is peppered with light, humorous touches - such as the monk who constantly falls asleep during prayers - but it never goes overboard in a way that would make the characters seem fatuous or unreal. This is, after all, based on a true story.
One of the great strengths of movies - both documentaries and feature films - is the ability to transport an audience to places they have never previously visited. The Cup fulfills this promise, offering a glimpse of a culture that many of us will be unfamiliar with. It will doubtless surprise some viewers to learn that the monks' daily routine is not dominated by the strict, ascetic activities one might suppose. While there is a strong spiritual component to their existence, it is not all-consuming. Soccer, after all, is a worldly pursuit. Norbu's debut feature represents the kind of movie that effectively marries the metaphysical and the material into a satisfying whole that satisfies the film-goer's desire for a solid story with likable characters.
© 2000 James Berardinelli