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IMDbPro

The Venerable W.

Original title: Le vénérable W.
  • 20172017
  • PGPG
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
610
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
79,237
26,349
The Venerable W. (2017)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:49
1 Video
7 Photos
Documentary
A view of the religious tensions between Muslims and Buddhist through the portrait of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar.A view of the religious tensions between Muslims and Buddhist through the portrait of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar.A view of the religious tensions between Muslims and Buddhist through the portrait of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
610
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
79,237
26,349
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Writer
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Stars
      • Ashin Wirathu
      • U. Zanitar
      • Kyaw Zayar Htun
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Writer
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Stars
      • Ashin Wirathu
      • U. Zanitar
      • Kyaw Zayar Htun
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    The Venerable W.
    Trailer 1:49
    The Venerable W.

    Photos7

    Ashin Wirathu in The Venerable W. (2017)
    Ashin Wirathu in The Venerable W. (2017)
    The Venerable W. (2017)
    The Venerable W. (2017)
    Ashin Wirathu in The Venerable W. (2017)
    The Venerable W. (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ashin Wirathu
    Ashin Wirathu
    • Self
    U. Zanitar
    • Self - Wirathu's Master
    Kyaw Zayar Htun
    • Self
    U. Kaylar Sa
    • Self - Buddist monk
    Matthew Smith
    • Self - journalist
    Abdul Rasheed
    • Self
    Carlos Sardiña-Galache
    • Self - Spanish Journalist
    U. Galonni
    • Self - buddist monk
    Aung San Suu Kyi
    Aung San Suu Kyi
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Bulle Ogier
    Bulle Ogier
    • Petite voix bouddhiste
    • (voice)
    Maria de Medeiros
    Maria de Medeiros
    • Little Buddhist Voice
    • (voice)
    Barbet Schroeder
    Barbet Schroeder
    • Narrateur
    • (voice)
    • …
    Yanghee Lee
    • Self - UN special rapporteur
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Writer
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This is the third film in Barbet Schroeder's "trilogy of evil", following, General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait (1974) and Terror's Advocate (2007).

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    This here is disappointing ...
    Countless national groups around the world; probably scared by the Globalist agenda of merging populations to suit Big money interests; claim they want no external groups to live anywhere near themselves

    The Ethnic Bengalis of Western Burma/Myanmar are a group rejected by many of the Burmese; Race and religion being the reason given

    They have lived there for a very long time but were a minority group. The British Empire encouraged Bengalis from the Easternmost parts of its Indian Empire to move into those regions more

    So really we are to an extent seeing yet another Colonial mess still producing nefarious results and being played out

    Barbet Schroeder here makes a tame attempt at showing some of the mechanisms; but really in a clumsy way and a very one-sided one too; his entire view is centered around demonizing the Venerable W; a monk who does not seem as peace and love as Buddhists come across normally

    The premise here seems to be Rohingyas are victims of racist intolerant Burmese led by W. End of debate. As I mentioned one-sided.

    Religion and Racial hatred are very bad indeed. And plenty of that is evident in the last 20 years in Myanmar. But the story has many other levels and factors at play which are not even looked at. Globalization. The Fear of expanding population in Western Burma. None of this. Just bad racist guy here boohoo.

    I am a HUGE fan of More La Vallée and other earlier films by Schroeder

    This here is disappointing. Maybe documentary is not a medium for a man who is essentially an artist; a fiction artist. The rigour of research is sorely absent it seems.
    helpful•5
    4
    • anxiousgayhorseonketamine
    • Oct 22, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 4, 2019 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Switzerland
      • France
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Spanish
      • Burmese
    • Also known as
      • El venerable W.
    • Filming locations
      • Burma
    • Production companies
      • Les Films du Losange
      • Bande a Part Films
      • Arte France Cinéma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $559,312
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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