“Into great silence” released on DVD
December 28th, 2006 by Zsofia
This hypnotic documentary about the life of monks in the French Alps, who live under a vow of silence, is now out on DVD. Directed by German Philip Gröning, the film is a next-to-silent meditation on monastic life. No music (except for the chants), no interviews, and no commentaries.
It was after 19 years following his first encounter with the order’s leader that Gröning was granted permission to shoot the film. During the shoot, he locked himself up in the monastery for five months, immersing himself in the never-before-seen world of the Grande Chartreuse monastery. Before the documentary started making its way through the film festival circuit, Gröning arranged a screening for the monks. “They found a lot of humor in it,” he told Newsweek. The film took 700,000 euro to make, and received many awards, including the Special Jury Price at Sundance.
Click here for the production notes and a lengthy interview with the director.
