The Cup

(New Line)

Inspired by true events, Khyentse Norbu's film has two Tibetan boys arriving for study in an exiled Northern India monastery and being immediately engulfed in the life of the acolyte. Heads shaved, saffron robes donned, their daily prayers, lessons, and chores are a radical departure from shepherding in the steppes. But an even stranger cognitive dissonance arises: several of the young monks are soccer fans, and as the 1998 World Cup final approaches, a Zen sort of mayhem ensues. The top priority: procurement of a satellite dish and a television in time for the big match. Viewers interested in Tibetan culture will love the lushly photographed rituals, temple decor, and landscapes. The Cup eschews heavy-handed politics in favor of feel-good anachronism and the sweet tempos of life lived simply.