Soulbright Movie Night | The Cup
JAN26
Monday, January 26
18:00 - 20:00
📍
La Luz ↗
Ubud
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Event Information
This Monday, we travel to Chokling Monastery in Northern India, the Tibetan refugee monastery where monks live in exile after leaving Tibet. It is the summer of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and a group of young monks becomes completely obsessed with watching the matches.
Among them, we meet Orgyen, the chief instigator and a devoted soccer fan. Life in the monastery is simple. Of course, there is no television. But determined to see the final between France and Brazil, Orgyen begins collecting money from fellow monks to rent a TV and organize a viewing inside the monastery! What follows becomes a quiet test of solidarity, resourcefulness, and friendship among the students and monks.
🧘♂️⚽📺The Cup (1999) 💛🏔️🇮🇳
❤️ WHAT I LOVE about this film is that the director, Khyentse Norbu, is actually a Tibetan lama from Bhutan who even attended a short intensive course at the New York Film Academy in 1994 to learn filmmaking. 🤯 This story is inspired by his own first-hand experiences living in monasteries, where he witnessed the real World Cup obsession and a growing curiosity about modern life. Through this charming story, the film also raises a deep, timeless question: How does a spiritual life adapt to a changing world without losing its core?
What makes it even more special is that the cast are real monks and novices from Chokling Monastery, many of them reenacting moments close to their own lives. Much of the dialogue was improvised, with the monks simply being themselves on screen.
🏆 This is a remarkable feature debut by a lama-turned-filmmaker, earning six international awards and four nominations.
It is realistic, sincere, and deeply humane—a cultural journey that is lighthearted yet contemplative. A rare indie gem, directed by a real lama, that you don’t want to miss!
✨ After the film, let’s engage in a friendly discussion to share thoughts, learn from each other, and make new friends!
Among them, we meet Orgyen, the chief instigator and a devoted soccer fan. Life in the monastery is simple. Of course, there is no television. But determined to see the final between France and Brazil, Orgyen begins collecting money from fellow monks to rent a TV and organize a viewing inside the monastery! What follows becomes a quiet test of solidarity, resourcefulness, and friendship among the students and monks.
🧘♂️⚽📺The Cup (1999) 💛🏔️🇮🇳
❤️ WHAT I LOVE about this film is that the director, Khyentse Norbu, is actually a Tibetan lama from Bhutan who even attended a short intensive course at the New York Film Academy in 1994 to learn filmmaking. 🤯 This story is inspired by his own first-hand experiences living in monasteries, where he witnessed the real World Cup obsession and a growing curiosity about modern life. Through this charming story, the film also raises a deep, timeless question: How does a spiritual life adapt to a changing world without losing its core?
What makes it even more special is that the cast are real monks and novices from Chokling Monastery, many of them reenacting moments close to their own lives. Much of the dialogue was improvised, with the monks simply being themselves on screen.
🏆 This is a remarkable feature debut by a lama-turned-filmmaker, earning six international awards and four nominations.
It is realistic, sincere, and deeply humane—a cultural journey that is lighthearted yet contemplative. A rare indie gem, directed by a real lama, that you don’t want to miss!
✨ After the film, let’s engage in a friendly discussion to share thoughts, learn from each other, and make new friends!
