The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun

This documentary omits many elements that should be included. We never learn the age of Vig, how scholarly he really is, in how many languages is he fluent. Does the Russian Church ante up a lot of money? How much? What is the complete inventory of repairs to the monastery? And, most glaringly missed, is who ends up with the castle and the property, how is it divided between the Church and the Board? The last question is pertinent to the main conflict developed in the movie. Why isn't it answered, even with a couple of text lines at the end?

The setting of the movie in rural Denmark and the character contrast between Vig and the Nun are splendid. Both characters are strong but polite and restrained. Never is the conflict between them a shouting match or grudge.

Jørgen Laursen Vig decided towards the end of his life that the somewhat dilapidated castle he'd owned for forty years in the Danish countryside could be best put to use as a Russian Orthodox monastery. He contacted the Patriarchate in Moscow, who sent a delegation to investigate. The Monastery documents the arrival of the delegation (of two nuns, a novice and the van driver) and subsequent discussions and negotiations between various parties.

At one stage, the negotiations appear to be at a stalemate as the delegation returns to Moscow, and no word is heard for many months. Mr. Vig appears to be at least partly motivated by self-interest (he wants pilgrims to stay and maintain the building), and his demands are sometimes met with amusement by the Russians.

The most captivating aspect of the film is Vig himself and his many idiosyncrasies. Not only does he look like someone from another century, but he is stuck in his ways and he admits it. He doesn't like the nuns and mentions he doesn't get on well with people. He has only been fond of one person in his life and he's long dead – his father. Vig didn't relate particularly well with his mother, which he attributes to her nose. Vig has a thing about noses. And ears, too! The Monastery is not an insightful documentary, but rather what you might call a human interest film and is entertaining. I saw it at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Xtremly well told and edited documentary! These filmmakers really know what they are doing. Worldclass!!! Made me happy to see! The touching true story of Mr Vigs attempt - late in his life - to make something to be eternally remembered from, is like a Dickens saga. This documentary is so exotic and special that it wouldn't be believable as a drama/fiction story!!! Mr Vig is like an eccentric Scrooge who has never loved anyone, and never made love in his whole life, and he is on the edge to destroy his own last project. A project that he has worked on for forty years - to make a monastery of his old castle deep in the Danish woods. The clash between the Russian orthodox nuns that comes to Mr Vigs not- to-well-repaired old castle is exotic... The entrance of the nuns is starting an internal and external war of wills.... This documentary is full of humor, wisdom, shortcomings and insights. Heartwarming without being sentimental. Filmed during 6 years... It contains some really amazing pictures. Seeing Mr Vigs stiffly walk around fixing in his old dusty castle made me think of German expressionist draculafilm Nosferatu! Lots of surprising twists and other not-so-surprising events. See this film!

I have been in the war of rescuing and renovating a historic mansion for many years. This film was just too good and obviously spoke right to my heart and pocket book. I absolutely related to Mr Vig having the love and devotion to the monastery and at the same time realizing that he does not have the funds, energy, or time to make a dent in the massive project. The subsequent involvement of the Sisters hearkens back to the wonderful classic, "lillies of the field". The ongoing interplay between the characters is very sensitive and real. If you are getting worn out with the endless Hollywood CGI violence, gore, and movies that addresses the lowest common denominator of intelligence, you will enjoy this human film. If, on the other hand, your cup of tea is "dumb and dumber" or "fast and furious", you will be terribly bored.

Mr Vig is an elderly Danish gentleman who sets out to donate his "castle" to the Russian Orthodox Church. An entourage of nuns arrive in the Danish outbacks to inspect the house and the negotiations begin. Mr Vig is a strong-minded man, but so are the nuns.

Calling this a "human interest" film may be quite all right, but, that said, it doesn't lack substance. Even though many scenes are devoted to Mr Vig's idiosyncrasies, the film, for me, didn't leave my mind immediately after having finished it. It is a film that by focusing on the nuns' pragmatic outlook on moving to Vig's castle, by portraying the nuns as knowledgeable and persistent, throw a much more down-to-earth light on religion and religious life than what is customary in many films and documentary (religious people as world-weary ascetics).

Some scenes are stranger than words can tell. In one scene, Sister Ambrosija is seen hunched down in prayer, chanting solemnly. Then her cell phone suddenly rings, and the ring tone is "I wish you a merry Christmas". She barks: "YES??" Cut!