Obligatory World Cup Post

If you're all in a tizzy over the World Cup right now, you might enjoy "The Cup", an engaging film from '99 about Tibetan Buddhist monks in exile in India determined to watch the World Cup finals in their monastery. Tagline: Buddhism is their philosophy. Soccer is their religion.

From IMDB:

While the soccer World Cup is being played in France, two young Tibetan refugees arrive at a monastery/boarding school in exile in India. Its atmosphere of serene contemplation is somewhat disrupted by soccer fever, the chief instigator being a young student, the soccer enthusiast Orgyen. Prevented by various circumstances from seeing the Cup finals on television in a nearby village, Orgyen sets out to organize the rental of a TV set for the monastery. The enterprise becomes a test of solidarity, resourcefulness and friendship for the students, while the Lama, head of the monastery, contemplates the challenges of teaching the word of Buddha in a rapidly changing world.

Filmed for under $700,000 in Bhutan, this film is Buddhist in feel as well as subject matter. Don't expect heart-pounding car-chases - this is a serene film.

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