In this blog post, we’ll follow the lives and spiritual journeys of the nuns at Baekheungam Temple through Director Lee Chang-jae’s film ‘On the Road’, examining the recurring image of the “road” in the work, the slow passage of time, and the aspects of life we discover within them.
On the Road: The Path Walked by the Bhikkhunis of Baekheungam
‘On the Road’, 2012 – Lee Chang-jae
In this film, “the road” serves as the overarching theme, yet the road is never directly mentioned, nor is it simply shown. That’s what I liked about it. Rather than stating things too forcefully, the film speaks subtly and indirectly; the lives of the bhikkhunis and the film’s message harmonize naturally. The fact that the filmmaker devoted nearly a year to this project is also deeply compelling. It documents the lives of the nuns, their religious practices, and their everyday experiences. The very act of capturing the slow passage of time and weaving it into the film was the primary reason I chose this work. The documentary I hope to create also requires this kind of temporal breathing room and a sense of the journey. I felt there was much to learn from this film. I sensed that there would be something conveyed simply through observation, rather than through a fast-paced narrative. As I watched the nuns—both fragile and resilient—standing on their path, I realized that our own lives are no different.
The Lives and Spiritual Path of the Nuns at Baekheungam
The film begins with the story of Baekheungam, a temple that opens its doors to the public only twice a year. At first glance, it could be seen simply as the story of the nuns of Baekheungam. As it introduces Sang-wook, a novice aspiring to become a nun, it gradually reveals the life she has lived. It shows just how arduous and challenging it is for her to receive ordination, and how difficult the path she has chosen—having renounced everything of the secular world—is likely to be.
It also features Venerable Seon-woo, who became a nun after being cut off from the secular world from a young age. The film also depicts the process by which Venerable Seon-woo—whose heart had hardened with the thought, “Why only me?”—gradually unravels that emotional knot through her pilgrimage. On this pilgrimage, the nuns come to see a path beyond the confines of the monastery. They encounter notes imbued with someone’s fervent wishes, market scenes, and the gazes of passersby. Even on this pilgrimage—a brief journey undertaken for the sake of spiritual practice—the nuns remain steadfast in their practice.
Upon returning from the pilgrimage, Monk Seon-woo immediately embarks on his winter retreat. He arrives at a place called Mumun-gwan, where monks practice in solitude, eating only one meal a day in a locked room. In this place—where there is no sound and no footsteps, and isolation from the outside world is taken to the extreme—the monks engage in self-cultivation.
Venerable Sang-wook’s parents come to visit him now that he has transformed from a novice into a fully ordained monk. Though he still feels choked up, this is the first time he meets his parents as a true monk.
Winter arrives at Baekheungam. Before leaving Baekheungam, the head monk asks him a question: What have you seen over the past year? “I” suddenly recalls the question posed by a young monk when I first arrived at Baekheungam.
“Aren’t you going to ordain in this life? Then what about the next?”
The Key Image in the Film: The Path
The image of the path appears repeatedly throughout the film: Novice Sang-wook setting out on the path to ordination, the path of three bows and one prostration, the pilgrimage path, and the path of practice at the Gate of No-Gate. Many paths appear, and the camera often focuses on them. It seems to illuminate the path to reinforce the meaning of the preceding scenes.
For example, the film introduces novice Sang-wook, presents his past experiences, and shows his parents. Immediately afterward, it shows the “path” that Sang-wook walks toward his ordination. It feels as though it’s presenting a snapshot of life.
Although there were many images of paths, the most dominant image in the film was the scene of three monks—including Venerable Seon-woo—ascending the pilgrimage path.
The monks are descending the slope, while laypeople on the opposite side are climbing up. It is a scene of stark contrast. It felt like the relationship between the secular world and the monks. A path that gradually leads away and into a different way of life. The laypeople seem to be enjoying themselves in their own way, and the monks are also finding joy in their own way.
Even if the paths we’ve walked are different, and even if our individual joys differ, the ultimate path of life is the same. It’s a theme that had to be conveyed through the dominant image of walking—a journey that is exhausting and difficult, yet one we must continue. Though it’s a heavy theme, this single scene alone seems to have aptly conveyed it—allowing it to sink in slowly.
Empathy Found on an Extremely Subjective Path
This isn’t a subject that can be addressed in a general way. If such content were handled in the most general way, what kind of documentary would result? A documentary that is both the most general and, at times, the most subjective. Although it is filmed with a single idea in mind, the audience watching the footage will each have their own thoughts, and other meanings will emerge.
I want to capture the essence of a path—one that all viewers can understand and empathize with—from an extremely subjective perspective. If you look at it from a different angle, the concept of a “path” itself cannot feel foreign to anyone.
While it could be viewed as a religious documentary, what’s more important are the individual lives depicted in each scene. Even if it’s not your own story, you can still empathize and relate to it. Since it didn’t impose Buddhist themes but simply showed things as they are, it felt less like a religious documentary and more like a documentary about the lives of individual people.
Analyzing the documentary felt like a doubly rewarding experience. I gained a great deal not from an educational perspective, but regarding the way we live our lives. Walking a path, standing upon it—these are stories that apply to everyone. I projected myself into the film and gained another lesson. That alone made me feel good.
