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Jørgen Lauersen Vig, a deeply eccentric, never-married 82-year-old Dane, living alone in ramshackle Hesbjerg Castle in the Danish countryside, dreams of donating his homestead to the Russian Orthodox Church to become a monastery. In a long black overcoat, with a shock of unruly white hair, and glasses perched on the tip of his nose, he looks like a character straight out of Dickens (Film Threat describes him as "a cross between Ebenezer Scrooge and Rasputin"). Enter Sister Ambrosija, a remarkab
ly attractive young Russian Orthodox nun, who arrives with a small entourage and begins to whip the place into shape. A whirlwind of activity (days begin at 5:30 am), she insists upon extensive repairs; Mr. Vig wants Band-Aids where she suggests surgery. Their contest of wills plays out in humorous, offbeat encounters that take unexpected turns as two unlikely people find companionship and common ground. Hauntingly shot, "The Monastery" is a modern fairytale with timeless roots. |
