The Real Shaolin (2008)

Directed by

Alexander Sebastien Lee

Genre

documentary film, martial arts film

Country

United States

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Four people go to the Shaolin Temple in China to train in martial arts after being inspired by kung fu movies. Their hard physical training forces them to face the gap between their fantasies and the demanding reality of the temple.

observationalhumblingintenseaspirationalgroundedphysically demandingrevealingdisciplined

What happens

The Real Shaolin is a 2008 documentary film directed by Alexander Sebastien Lee. The Real Shaolin follows the story of two Chinese and two Westerners who journey to the Shaolin Temple in China, inspired by the legends portrayed in Kung Fu movies with Bruce Lee and Jet Li. In the course of excruciating martial arts training, their fantasies to become Kung Fu warriors collide with harsh reality, as the Shaolin Temple is the ultimate test for martial artists from all over the world. The Real Shaolin had its World Premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, and USA Premiere and winner of Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2009 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The Real Shaolin has played in festivals around the world including Hawaii International Film Festival, Doc NZ (New Zealand), Planet Doc Review (Poland), San Diego Asian Film Festival, and the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival. In October 2009, The Real Shaolin premiered at New York City's IFC Center for the documentary screening series Stranger than Fiction. The Real Shaolin was broadcast on television in France and Germany on Arte, in the Netherlands on Holland Doc 24, in Israel on Yes (Israel) Satellite TV, in Poland on Against Gravity, and on Air Canada flights. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• Kung Fu Kun (2008)
• The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
• American Shaolin (1992)
• Shaolin Girl (2008)
• Wushu (2008)
• Fearless (2006)
• 18 Bronzemen (1975)
• Kung Fu Dunk (2008)