The Venerable W.
Documentary, France, Switzerland • 1h40 • Color • 1.85 • Sound 5.1
English Subtitles
Synopsis
In Burma, the “Venerable Wirathu” is a highly respected and influential Buddhist monk. Meeting him amounts to traveling to the heart of everyday racism and observing how Islamophobia and hate speech lead to violence and destruction. Yet this is a country in which 90% of the population has adopted Buddhism as a faith: a religion based on a peaceful, tolerant and non-violent way of life.
Directed by
Barbet Shroeder
REACTIONS
“In a sense, this is the most terrifying of Schroder’s portraits.“— NEW YORK TIMES
“[An] eye-opening chronicle of one Burmese monk’s long campaign of racism and violence against his country’s minority Muslim population.” — THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Barbet Schroeder completes his Trilogy of Evil with this chilling look at the Buddhist monk whose Islamophobic rhetoric is stoking ethnic cleaning in Myanmar.” — VARIETY
“There’s an ever-present sense of rage and despair burbling beneath the placid surface of Barbet Schroeder’s film.” — SLANT MAGAZINE
“Shot on the hoof, under the noses of a repressive regime, The Venerable W is a fine, stirring documentary about ethnic cleansing in action.” — SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
AWARDS AND FEST
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL – Official Selection – Special Screening
NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL – Selection
TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL – Selection
