directed by: Philip Gröning, year: 2005
actors: Carthusian monks

Into Great Silence, directed by Philip Gröning, is a restrained, immersive documentary set inside the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps. Filmed with rare access over many months, the film follows Carthusian monks as they practice daily rhythms of silence, labor, prayer, and contemplation. There is little narration; long takes emphasize sound, light, and gesture to convey devotion and time. It functions as a meditation rather than a conventional narrative.

Cloister, Documentary, Observational Documentary, Religious Life, Monastic Life, France