The Cup

Soccer fever seizes the most unlikely of places in this supremely gentle, warmhearted tale of tradition and change, the first feature film made in Bhutan. After fleeing Tibet, two young boys (Kunsang Nyima and Pema Tshundup) are taken in by a Tibetan monastery-in-exile in the foothills of the Himalayas. Along with their spiritual studies, however, they also discover a passion for soccer thanks to their football-obsessed roommate (Jamyang Lodro)—an enthusiasm that reaches its height during the World Cup finals. A quest to procure a satellite dish so as to watch the match sets up a playful reflection on what happens when thousands of years of spiritual practice collide with the realities of globalization.