DIt’s hard not to fall under the spell of Pawo Choyning Dorji’s film. The Monk and the Gun [sur les écrans depuis le 24 juin], An ode to peace and the life of the humble, acclaimed by the public. The action takes place in Bhutan, where the resigning king organizes a “blank” vote in 2006, to teach his people how to vote in the next royal parliamentary elections. This is a historical fact, the rest is a fable.
Landlocked between China and India, Bhutan jealously guards its independence, its image and its culture. It has earned a reputation for being a paradise on earth, having included in its Constitution in 2008 the notion of “gross national happiness”, a reputation that will be reinforced by the success of the film. Who, in fact, would want to disturb this apparent harmony? Why impose on these sincere Buddhists, who remained simple in their mountains, political parties that would disrupt their peaceful social life with unnecessary conflicts? Who would not be tempted, after discovering this Eden free from the defects of modernity, to reproach the Western Eve for having given the Himalayan Adam the poisoned apple of her model? Who would deny that wars, digital surveillance and pollution are her escort?
But this film is like all fairy tales. The historical facts contradict the idyllic image that the setting wants to impose. So let’s go back a few years to better judge the period of the story: in 1974, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck imposed Bhutanese culture on all ethnic groups in the country; in 1985, the Lhotshampas of the southern plains, of Nepalese origin, were stripped of their citizenship. Their language is banned and they are forced to wear Bhutanese clothing.
Minorities abused
Some 100,000 of them flee to Nepal or India. They lead miserable lives in camps, with no one bothering them, and struggle in vain to get their land back. As for the Tibetan refugees, who share the Bhutanese language and religion, they were forced to adopt Bhutanese nationality in 1979. Many fled. This tragic story is told in fiction, but in such a subtle way that few viewers will stop there. The Bhutanese monk carrying his old rifle says with a big smile that the weapon was once used to shoot Tibetans, but he is careful not to explain the reasons for these fratricidal wars. He is also careful not to point out that Tibetans in exile are calling for freedom and democracy.
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