Crows Are White

dir. Ahsen Nadeem / 2022 / USA / 100min.
First Appearance Award
A filmmaker travels to a strict Japanese monastery in search of guidance but the only monk who will help him prefers ice cream and heavy metal over meditation.

After decades of living a secret life, a filmmaker travels to a strict Japanese monastery in search of guidance but the only monk who will help him prefers ice cream and heavy metal over meditation. “Crows Are White” is an exploration of truth, faith, and love, from the top of a mountain to the bottom of a sundae. For over a thousand years, a secretive Buddhist sect has lived in an isolated monastery in Japan performing acts of extreme physical endurance in their pursuit of enlightenment. A filmmaker, struggling to reconcile his desires with his faith, sets off to the strict monastery in search of answers. When he arrives, his presence is not welcomed and the only monk who will speak with him is an outcast who prefers ice cream and Slayer to meditation. Together they forge an unlikely friendship that leads them to higher truths and occasionally, a little trouble. Shot over five years on three continents, Crows are White is an exploration of truth, faith and love, from the top of a mountain to the bottom of a sundae.

duration:
100 min
country / year of production:
USA / 2022
director:
Ahsen Nadeem
cinematography:
Matthew Nauser
producer:
Riel Roch-Decter, Sebastian Pardo, Ahsen Nadeem, Ben Renzo, Jill Ahrens, Ryan Ahrens / MEMORY, Argent Pictures, Normal Content
selected festivals and awards:
2022 – Hot Docs Toronto, 2022 – SXSW Texas, 2022 – BFI London, 2022 – Camden IFF, 2022 – BFI London, 2022 – DOC AVIV
sections:
WHAT THE DOC?!
competitions:
Best Debut Award
tags:
feel good movie religions psychology travels relations awarded Far East

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