The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun
| The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Pernille Rose Grønkjær |
| Produced by | Sigrid Dyekjær |
| Music by | Johan Söderqvist |
| Cinematography | Pernille Rose Grønkjær |
| Edited by | Pernille Bech Christensen |
| Distributed by | Koch-Lorber Films |
Running time | 84 min. |
| Country | Denmark |
| Language | Danish |
The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun is a 2006 Danish documentary film directed by Pernille Rose Grønkjær.[1]
Plot Summary
Jørgen Laursen Vig owns a Danish estate, with a ramshackle castle, on the island of Fyn, he has long dreamed of turning his castle into a Russian orthodox monastery.
After a visit to Russia to negotiate with the Russian patriarchate, a delegation of nuns headed by Sister Amvrosija come to Denmark in order to assess whether Vig's castle is fit to serve as a monastery. The nuns approve the castle, but at the same time they demand extensive repairs to it. When the nuns leave again for Russia, Vig sets out to do the repairs by himself.
The following summer Sister Amvrosija and the other nuns return and Vig's dream seems about to come true. The nuns move into the castle, and slowly they take over the daily work and introduce new routines.
Vig's life changes: all his life he has lived by himself with no women around, now he has to share his home with the strong-willed Sister Amvrosija and her sister nuns. They demand more and more repairs, as a solution, the, the Russian patriarchate offers to pay for all future repairs to the castle, but on condition that Vig leaves his castle to them in his will.
Vig has serious doubts: should he leave his castle to the Russian church in his will and thus fulfil his dream of creating a monastery? Or should he keep his castle to himself and continue his lonely life as a bachelor? Vig, who has never known love, is facing many conflicts with the apparently difficult Sister Amvrosija, but she does strangely enough not want to leave him and his castle, even if she will be the last and only nun left.
Today the monastery is run by Sister Amvrosija. The Russian Orthodox priest Hegumen Theofan, Dean of the St. Alexander Nevsky Parish in Copenhagen, often comes to carry out services. The Russian Patriarchate and the Hesbjerg Foundation are negotiating the future plans for the monastery, and an agreement is well on its way.
Awards
Joris Ivens Award
Amersterdam, IDFA 2006
Grand Prix
Chicago International Documentary Festival 2007
Special Mention
CPH Dox Copenhagen Documentary Festival 2006
Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award
Durham, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2007
Grand Jury Award
Durham, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2007
Honorable Mention
São Paulo It's All True Int. Documentary FF 2007
FIPRESCI Award for Best Documentary
Sidney Film Festival 2007
Millennium Award for Best Film
Warsaw, Planete Doc Review 2007
The Kino Magazine Award
Warsaw, Planete Doc Review 2007
Audience Award
Moscow International Film Festival 2007
Best Documentary Nominee
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2008
Outstanding Achievement in International Nonfiction Feature
Cinema Eye Honors 2008
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking Nominee
Cinema Eye Honors 2008
Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Nominee
Cinema Eye Honors 2008