Philip Groning, Into Great Silence

Who would think a nearly three-hour look at silent Carthusian monks in the French Alps could be so entrancing? German filmmaker Philip Groning may not have realized the box-office potential of his subject but he was certainly determined to make this documentary, Into Great Silence. Groning first requested access to the Charterhouse monastery in the late 80s and it took only 16 years before he alone, without a crew, was allowed to spend six months living, but never interacting, with the monks. Hear Groning describe the appeal of this contemplative order, the surprising discoveries he made, and how his own life has been affected - after two decades as a filmmaker - with a sleeper hit in France, Germany, Italy and the U.S.

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