Icarus Films will be bringing Barbara Schroeder's documentary “The Venerable W.” to DVD on May 19th.
Synopsis
Evil comes in many forms. In Myanmar, it manifests in the casual racism and Islamophobia of influential, charismatic Burmese Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu. Through interviews with international journalists and community leaders who protest against Wirathu's views, shocking amateur footage of the persecution of the Rohingya, and through powerful storytelling, acclaimed director Barbet Schroeder (Reversal of Fortune, Koko: A Talking Gorilla, and Barfly) slowly, but inexorably, builds his case. Perhaps most damning of all are the interviews with the man himself; couching his nationalist fervor in life-affirming rhetoric.
Critics' Comments
“NY Times Critic's Pick! Barbet Schroeder has made yet another compelling documentary that demands to be seen.”
—New York Times
“Genuinely horrifying!”
– Film Comment
“There's an ever-present sense of rage and despair burbling beneath the placid surface of Barbet Schroeder's film.”
– Slant Magazine
“A heart-stopping look at a man who has helped to push a community to the brink of collapse through nationalism and anti-Islamic hatred.”
—The Daily Beast
