A Monastic Movie: Into Great Silence

Stumbled upon this trailer while scouring for a monastic vocation promotions video at Youtube. It's a movie/documentary about the life of Carthusian monks in their ascetic monastery in the French Alps. I'll update this post and make a review after I've seen it. I can't wait! For now, check out their official review and trailer:

Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world's most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks' quarters for six months—filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one—it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it's a rare, transformative theatrical experience for all.

Check out more from MongrelMedia. You can download there a pdf file of an interview with Philip Gröning and cool high resolution poster and images :)