The Calling

They left worldly life, wife, children, work and entered the monastery. Through the portraits of three monks, the feature-length documentary film by Erik Praus captures the unique spiritual atmosphere and mysticism of the Orthodox monastery Pochaivská Lavra, which is located on a hill above the town of Pochaiv in the Ternopil region in western Ukraine. Fathers Gabriel, Vicilentius and Nazarius got rid of their traumatic past here, achieved peace and balance and found the meaning of life. Their stories are metaphors of spiritualization and purification from human passions against the background of wild Ukrainian reality. Under the pressure of material poverty and spiritual despair, masses of believers visit this place of pilgrimage to gain new strength and forgiveness. The film reverently observes the daily life of the monks, but also notices the magnificent beauty of the monastic environment. The path of faith is not only the privilege of the chosen ones. It is open to anyone who feels the "calling".