EXCLUSIVE: Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen have joined Crows Are White, the feature debut from filmmaker Ahsen Nadeem, as executive producers under their Square Peg banner. It will be the company’s first documentary.
Following a 2022 festival run, the film will open stateside on August 26 at New York’s IFC Center, followed by September 4 at Laemmle in Los Angeles, before expanding to additional cities nationwide.
The film follows filmmaker Ahsen Nadeem’s attempt to document one of Japan’s most secretive Buddhist monasteries. When his plans unravel, he befriends Ryushin, a monk who prefers heavy metal and ice cream to meditation. Their friendship leads Nadeem to confront a secret he’s kept for years.
Ryushin, the Buddhist monk at the center of Crows Are White was keeping his identity private until completing his monastic training. With his permission, the film is now being released widely as of this year.
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Since launching an Instagram account in February, Ryushin has become an unlikely social media star, with his account @desire.monk amassing more than 30 million views.
“The response to Ryushin changed our approach to releasing the film,” said director Ahsen Nadeem. “It gave us the confidence to bypass the traditional distribution model and bring Crows Are White directly to audiences in theaters.”
“Ryushin, the self-described ‘Desire Monk’ at the film’s center, is one of the most memorable and charming documentary subjects we’ve seen in years,” added Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen. “Warm, playful and generous. It’s a lovely film and we’re excited to help it reach audiences.”
The film launched at SXSW and went on to play a host of festivals including Hot Docs and London.
It is produced by Memory, the independent company behind Sophy Romvari’s Blue Heron and Theo Anthony’s Sundance Special Jury Prize winner All Light, Everywhere. The film was also produced and financed by Argent Pictures, whose slate includes films such as Joe Bell, American Made and Oscar winner Hacksaw Ridge.
