Come, Come, Come Upward

An Artisan's Legacy: Tsunekazu Nishioka(ja)

In-depth look at the twilight years, spent training apprentices, of temple builder Nishioka Tsunekazu, who was called the "devil" as he devoted his life to temple architecture. His insistence on the gargantuan timescale of linking life to the next millennium emerges from people who knew him. Remarkable as well for showing the unknown backstage of temple architecture. Nishioka, known as "the last temple carpenter," handled the major Showa-era repairs of Horyuji temple, and in 1990 was at the scene of the reconstruction work for Yakushi temple.

The Steel Helmet(en)

A ragtag group of American stragglers battles against superior Communist troops in an abandoned Buddhist temple during the Korean War.

Conflagration(ja)

Learning of his family's collapse, acolyte Goichi, sent to study silently at the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, must endure acute psychological distress.

Fancy Dance(ja)

Yohei, a punk rocker, becomes a Buddhist monk in order to inherit a mountain temple. Though initially rebelling against the tough monastic discipline, he learns to adjust. Then his girlfriend shows up, enticing him to return to his rock 'n' roll roots.

The Shadowless Pagoda(ko)

On the eighth of April of King Gyoeng-deok's 10th year of the reign of the Unified Silla Period, Guseulagi, a daughter of Yu Jong, joins the king's parade to Bulguksa Temple, where she meets a stonemason named Asadal from Buyeo. Having a crush on him, she visits Sakyamuni Pagoda, a masonic site; only to find that Asadal had broken down from exhaustion. While she takes care of him, her love for him grows. But Asadal misses his wife who is waiting for him in Buyeo. Meanwhile, Geum Seong who has a crush on Guseulagi, asks his father, Geum Ji, to propose on behalf of him. But Yu Jong is so dissatisfied with Geum Ji because he is a treacherous subject, that he turns down the proposal, instead of hurrying up his daughter's marriage with Gyeongsin, a faithful subject. Asanyeo who has been waiting for her husband Asadal in Buyeo goes to Bulguksa Temple after her father-in-law had died.

Miracles of Luang Pu Suk(en)

About the merits of Luang Pu Suk, a Buddhist monk who lived from 1847-1923.

Paradise(en)

A young man visits a Buddhist temple in the hopes of quenching his thirst.

Belonging Syndrome(en)

Belonging Syndrome is a short documentary that follows Duang, a second-generation Italian-Thai girl. Duang, during a period of stay in a monastery. Through her inner diary, the film explores a suspended phase of life: the one in which identity it is not yet defined and belonging becomes an open question. The monastery becomes the physical and symbolic place where Duang observes herself. Immersed in a daily life marked by rituals, silences and repeated gestures, the protagonist goes through an experience of deep listening, in which time slows down and perception is refined. Belonging Syndrome talks about hybrid identities, cultural legacies that coexist without completely merging, the difficulty and possibility of inhabiting multiple worlds without having to choose just one. It is an intimate and contemplative story about the search for balance in a fragile and open phase of existence.

Buddha Wild: Monk in a Hut(en)

Buddhist monks open up about the joys and challenges of living out the precepts of the Buddha as a full-time vocation. Controversies swirling within modern monastic Buddhism are examined, from celibacy and the role of women to racism and concerns about the environment.

Bhutan: Following in the Footsteps of Matthieu Ricard(fr)

Buddhist monk and photographer Matthieu Picard as he returns to the Asian country in the Himalayas where he spent a decade after seven years away, revisiting breathtaking landscapes and experiencing local traditions.

The Burning Buddha Man(ja)

There is a series of Buddha statue thefts in Kyoto. Beniko, a high school girl, gets the Buddha statue at her family's temple stolen and has her parents killed at the same time. She needs to know what caused the death of a parents and dreams of revenge. She goes on a fantastical journey to ultimately face the demon. The entire film is produced by hand drawing all the gods 'manifesto animation' or 'gekimation' based on the amazing hand drawings.

Tempelriddaren(sv)

From one gompa to another(fr)

Back to Burgundy(fr)

Jean left his hometown ten years ago. When his father falls ill, he comes back and reunites with his sister Juliette and his brother Jérémie. As seasons go by around their vineyard, they'll have to trust each other again.

Prologue(en)

This film tells the story of a young Montrealer who edits an underground newspaper with help from his female friend and a draft dodger from the United States. Two rival philosophies of dissenting youth become evident in the choices they make: militant protest vs. communal retreat. Including some seminal archival footage of a speech by legendary anti-war activist Abbie Hoffman and bloody rioting during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

The Year of Certificate(fr)

This certificate was formerly obtained by pupils at the end of primary school. The teacher of a small village has a dream: he wants his son to get his certificate and to be the best in the district ("Canton"). His younger son is less gifted: he is ashamed of him and treats him like a dunce. His obsession is so strong his marriage (his wife is a schoolteacher too) is soon on the rocks.

Storno(de)

The village of Hassenhausen, with a population of 370, is located somewhere in the Hessian province and has little to offer apart from a motorway connection. Friends Stefanie and Gabi work as cashiers in a supermarket and dream of a different life. Gabi wants to emigrate to America and would even be willing to leave her simple-minded husband behind. Martin, a successful farmer, has his hopes set on Stefanie, but she longs for the return of her childhood sweetheart, Thomas. When Thomas actually returns one day, Stefanie believes that happiness is within reach. The volunteer fire department's celebration turns out to be an eventful day.

Living Water(uk)

The love story of the beautiful Danko and the forester Anton, their struggle for their love and for the old grove – the beauty and pride of the Carpathian village, where the sound of axes is heard more and more often.

Sex-Power(fr)

A young Frenchman arrives in Northern California looking to forget a lost love and ends up encountering various forms of feminine power.

Fortress on Wheels(ru)

A story about an armored train, number 56, and its actions during WWII.

Everyone Is There(ko)

Soo Yeon decides to commit suicide to end the bullying she goes through at school, when a savior appears. A woman punishes the bullies on behalf of Soo Yeon and saves her from the reality of hell.

Girl in the Box(en)

The true story of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiking woman abducted by a young couple and held captive for seven years, during which time she's tortured and forced to live as a slave to her captors.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds(en)

Middle-aged widow Beatrice Hunsdorfer and her daughters Ruth and Matilda are struggling to survive in a society they barely understand. Beatrice dreams of opening an elegant tea room but does not have the wherewithal to achieve her lofty goal. Epileptic Ruth is a rebellious adolescent, while shy but highly intelligent and idealistic Matilda seeks solace in her pets and school projects, including one designed to show how small amounts of radium affect marigolds.

Bastard Out of Carolina(en)

A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance.

Serve the People(ko)

Mu-kwang volunteers to be a kitchen police of Sa-taek, the divisional commander, dreaming of success. One day, Mu-kwang meets Su-ryeon by chance, who is a young and beautiful wife of the commander. Soon, he feels a strong attraction by her.

A Normal Family(ko)

Jae-wan, a successful lawyer, takes on the case of a rich executive's son, who has purposely run over and killed a man and left his daughter seriously injured. It's Jae-wan's job to defend a murderer, just another rung on his career's golden-stepped ladder. His younger brother, on the contrary, is a scrupulous and upstanding paediatrician, who always puts the health of his patients over profit and money, often contravening the rules of the private clinic where he works. The brothers meet once a month with their wives for fine dining in expensive restaurants, but when an unexpected situation involving their teenage kids arises, their consciences are questioned and their usual dinner conversation takes an unexpected turn.

Imagine(en)

A blind teacher breaks the rules to help a female student rediscover the pleasures of life.

Iron Jawed Angels(en)

Defiant young activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.

Sky(en)

A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.

Won't Back Down(en)

Jamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposites sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken school and ensure a bright future for their children. The two women refuse to let any obstacles stand in their way as they battle a bureaucracy that's hopelessly mired in traditional thinking, and they seek to re-energize a faculty that has lost its passion for teaching.

Nobody's Daughter Haewon(ko)

Facing her mother’s departure and the weight of a secret affair with her professor, college student Haewon drifts through a series of encounters and dreams, blurring the lines between her desires and reality.

The Novelist's Film(ko)

A novelist visits a bookstore run by a young colleague who's been out of touch, then takes a walk with a film director and his wife. She meets an actress and tries to convince her to make a film together.

Return to Zero(en)

Based on the true story of a successful couple, Maggie and Aaron who are preparing for the arrival of their first child.

Cheaters(en)

In the fall of 1994, a teacher at Chicago's run-down Steinmetz High conspires with the school's academic decathlon team to cheat on an academic competition.

Return(en)

Back from a tour of duty, Kelli struggles to find her place in her family and the rust-belt town she no longer recognizes.

Idol Seungha's R-Rated Film Shooting(ko)

Film producer Na-eun and director Yeong-tae are on the verge of shelving out cash for an adult film production. They're too busy blaming each other for the messed-up filming. Before another filming begins, Na-eun suggests Yeong-tae to become an actor himself and practice filming. Na-eun leads the shy Yeong-tae very skillfully. How far will the practice go...?

The Safety of Objects(en)

In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

A Brand New Life(ko)

Abandoned by her father, a girl adjusts to life in an orphanage.

Miss Baek(ko)

A woman's past as a convict follows her everywhere and because of this she doesn't open up to others. But then she strikes up a friendship with a broken child who has suffered from domestic violence and decides to save the girl from the cruel world. A man who holds feelings for the woman, tries to protect her in his own way.

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film(en)

A psychotherapist helps a law student cope with schizophrenia in one of five interconnected tales dealing with mental illness.