Into Great Silence

Once again, Jon and I were pretty much the only people under 60 in the audience. Why does that always happen?

This is a documentary about the Grande Chartreuse monks. They are the ones who make the Green Chartreuse Liquor, although, the production of it wasn't shown in this film. According to Wiki, they have moved the production of the drink to Spain, but it is named after its color which shares its name with the monastery, which is named after the mountains in which it is situated in the French Alps.

These monks are silent most of the time, except for on a weekly jaunt into the woods and some ceremonial occasions. So...you have three hours of pretty much silent images, except for footsteps, chopping, sawing, praying, bells ringing...you know, Monk Noises. But, that said, the hole left by the silence really puts you in their daily lives and it is rather peaceful and beautiful watching the seasons pass while the monks immerse themselves in work and prayer and play (they do play -- one particularly joyful scene showed the monks sledding down a steep snowy hill on a sunny day.)

The filmmaker was invited to come film, but only without a crew and without artificial lights so the documentary is reduced to basic natural elements: light, space, time.

Very calm and meditative. Very long. It left us asking some questions, such as, "Where do monks go pee?"