I Am with a Monk
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Polish premiereTheatrical Screenings
Kinomuzeum
Kinoteka 4
Online Availability
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Film description
On the run from local thugs, a fugitive finds shelter under the care of a wandering monk. Together, they traverse the Thai backwaters – a terrain rife with ruffians who need pacifying, and endless opportunities to put the monk’s patience to the test. Their journey swiftly turns into a series of absurd encounters, brawls, and unexpected lessons in self-discipline. I Am with a Monk is a wild blend of action cinema, slapstick comedy, a Buddhist parable on karmic relationships, and a spaghetti western set in rural Thailand. The film stars two legends of Thai cinema, Sombat Metanee and Sorapong Chatree, with Khom Akadet – one of the key directors of the genre's golden era – behind the camera. Long, brutal fight sequences sit side-by-side with light-hearted humour, while the violence is defused by the figure of the monk, whose primary weapon turns out to be patience itself.
The subversiveness of I Am with a Monk elevates Khom Akadet’s story beyond the scope of ordinary, if spectacular, action cinema – it stands as a cult, eccentric, and transgressively energetic showcase of genre-bending filmmaking. Restored by the Thai Film Archive, I Am with a Monk offers an immersive dive into Thai pop culture at its most unapologetic and unpretentious.
text:
Łukasz Mańkowski
Khom Akadet
Khom Akadet (also spelled Kom Akadej, 1946–2012) was a Thai actor, director, and film and television producer, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Thai action cinema. He began his career in feature films as an actor before transitioning into directing and producing, eventually establishing himself as a key figure in Thai action and crime cinema. Renowned as a prominent talent scout, he launched the careers of numerous actors who would go on to become major stars in the Thai film industry. In his later years, he shifted his focus to television, producing hit action-adventure series.
1975 Plon Khrang Sut Thai / The Last Robbery
1976 Phai Kamphloeng / Killer Elephants
1977 Bionic Heroes
1977 Luk khwan / Hatchet
1978 Maha Hin
1979 Sua Phukhao / The Mountain Lion
1983 Lung hing fu mui / Dragon Killer
1984 Idę z mnichem / Kha Ma Kap Phra / I am with a Monk
1986 Tamruat Lek / Iron Cop
