Present Silence

In 1984, Philip Gröning approached the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery, seeking permission to film their lives of silence and solitude. Sixteen years later, having thought it over, they finally agreed, and the result is Into Great Silence: a documentary as patient and thoughtful as its subjects.

The humble lives of the Carthusians are set against the colossal architecture of the Grande Chartreuse, where studied silence echoes through its vast halls. Grand religious rituals, routine janitorial work and haircut are all given equal weight and focus, revealing silence as a path to spiritual transcendence in all walks of life.