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Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?

Original title: Dharmaga tongjoguro kan kkadalgun
  • 1989
  • Not Rated
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989)
Drama

About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.

  • Director
    • Yong-Kyun Bae
  • Writer
    • Yong-Kyun Bae
  • Stars
    • Yi Pan-Yong
    • Sin Won-Sop
    • Hae-Jin Huang
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    1.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Yong-Kyun Bae
    • Writer
      • Yong-Kyun Bae
    • Stars
      • Yi Pan-Yong
      • Sin Won-Sop
      • Hae-Jin Huang
    • 18User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Photos3

    View Poster
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    Top cast9

    Edit
    Yi Pan-Yong
    • Hye-gok
    Sin Won-Sop
    • Ki-bong
    Hae-Jin Huang
    • Hae-jin
    Su-Myong Ko
    • Abbot
    Byeong-hui Yun
    • Ki-bong's mother
    Myeong-deok Choi
    Hui-yeong Kim
    • The Other Disciple
    Eun-yeong Lee
    Seon-hye Lee
    • Director
      • Yong-Kyun Bae
    • Writer
      • Yong-Kyun Bae
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Film took seven years to complete, using a single camera, and was edited entirely by hand.
    • Quotes

      Haejin: Why have we all left the world?

      Kibong: It's because in the world, there is no peace or freedom of the heart.

      Haejin: Why?

      Hyegok: Because people haven't enough heart to put in all the things of the world. In fact, they have enough heart, but it's full of the idea of Self.

    User reviews18

    Featured review
    10/10

    A film requiring multiple viewings

    I first saw this film several years ago, and I was told that it was so hard to understand. Then I studied more about Zen Buddhism, and slowly but surely, I did begin to understand.

    The movie is considered the best film about Buddhism, and rightly so. The director, a professor at the Buddhist Dongguk University in Seoul, took seven years to make it and used non-actors to play the parts.

    He recently remastered the image and dialogue in a new DVD release, but unfortunately, no extras or featurettes. This film is one of the greatest made, and I feel sorry that it hasn't gotten the proper DVD treatment it deserves.

    Nonethless, this movie is a meditation about Buddhism, life and death, and our raison d'etre. Definitely not to be missed.
    • peter07
    • Nov 18, 2007
    • Permalink

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    FAQ15

    • How long is Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East??Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 23, 1989 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?: A Zen Fable
    • Filming locations
      • South Korea
    • Production company
      • Bae Yong-Kyun Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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