(DIE GROßE STILLE, Philip Groening, Germany 2005, French and Latin with subtitles, 164 min., 35mm)

Filmmaker Groening spent six months isolated with the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps. Accompanied only by his camera, Groening captures the fascinating lives of the monks, who live in isolated cells and spend most of their hours praying and working, interrupted only by mealtimes and sleep. Without music, narration, or conventional interviews, this truly eye-opening documentary uncovers a world of tranquility, stillness, and contemplation previously unknown to most viewers.