Golden Kingdom is a movie told in a non-traditional sense, at least in the Western world. It has to be experienced, and the interpretation is left to the viewer.

Four young Buddhist monks life in a remote monastery in Myanmar. They live, with their master teacher, relying on the good graces of the nearby village, who delivers food daily. There is a certain regularity in their lives, but it is all called into question when their master is summoned for some unknown reason. The oldest of them, Ko Yin Witazara is put in charge, and he tries to maintain order.

They survive, by going about their daily rituals, and sharing stories. One day, the food deliveries stop. The youngest monk wanders off, and they find him, but he’s sick. They find a family who helps, but we come to find that there’s an armed rebellion going on. Eventually, they return, but are again alone. Poeple passing through visit them, but it’s not enough. Witazara wanders off for help.

That’s about all I can say about the plot. As I mentioned, this movie is better experienced than explained. There is beautiful imagery and  there are wonderous landscapes. A lot is left for the view to interpret.

I enjoyed this film, but for those who expect the story to be spelled out will have to look elsewhere. I presume that the tenets of Buddhism weigh heavily in this film, but I am not all that knowledgeable to say with any certainty. At the interview after the film, we came to find that there aren’t any deals to distribute the film in the U.S., but that may change.