In a secluded mountaintop monastery, an aging Zen master (Yi Pan-Yong), a young monk (Sin Won-Sop) and an orphaned boy (Hae-Jin Huang) immerse themselves in Buddhist teachings. As the master faces death, he steers his pupils away from the turbulent outside world and toward their pursuit of enlightenment. Neophyte director Bae Yong-kyun took seven years to plan and film this meditative, South Korean masterwork.