Crows Are White

Seeking to find answers to his questions about life and religion, filmmaker Ahsen Nadeem goes in search of a secretive Buddhist sect in Japan, which is known for enduring unimaginable physical trials in an attempt to reach Nirvana. For over a thousand years, these monks push themselves to unearthly states of pain and suffering. Nadeem, struggling to find a subject to film but also facing near spiritual collapse, finally manages to gain access to the monastery’s inner sanctum only to find himself ejected for his ringing cell phone. Fortuitously, he encounters a young monk-in-training, an outcast with a love of head-banging music and a serious sweet tooth. And this is only part of the story… Shot over five years and on three continents, Ahsen Nadeem’s charming documentary is a fascinating look at faith, love and friendship.

Director Biography

Born in Saudi Arabia, Ahsen Nadeem emigrated to Ireland and then the United States where he has worked as a non-fiction filmmaker. His short films include Duet (2017) and Bertha Benz: the First Driver (2018). Crows Are White (2022) is his debut documentary feature.

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