In 2006, the king of Bhutan—a tiny country in the Eastern Himalayas known for its Buddhist monasteries and an emphasis on Gross National Happiness—announced he was ceding his power to the people, and that, for the first time in the country’s history, elections would be held to create a democratically elected government. The Monk and the Gun, a new satiric drama by the Bhutanese filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji, goes inside a small Bhutanese village just after the king’s announcement, where a mock election is being held to teach the villagers how to vote. Set against the majesty of the country’s mountains, the film follows three people: a monk, on a spiritual mission for his lama; a wealthy American searching for a valuable Civil War rifle; and a female government worker attempting to convince residents that democracy is a gift. Inspired by true events, Dorji’s film is a poignant portrayal of a country—and a culture—at a crossroads. —Paulina Prosnitz