Synopsis
Robert T. Edison was born and raised in Nottingham, England. When he was fourteen years old he began to practice Buddhism. At eighteen he became a monk and went to Thailand where, for a decade, he spent his time in monasteries. He became the first Buddhist monk in Iceland when he moved there in 1994 and founded a Buddhist sect. Five years later Robert decided to “disrobe” and get married. After sixteen years of celibacy Robert had to deal with being “normal” – getting employment, paying his bills and dealing with the needs of his partner. After four years in “the real world” Robert travelled back to Thailand to become a monk again. Act Normal was filmed from 1994 to 2006 and is a unique exploration of one man’s twelve-year search for some kind of love.
Ian Mackenzie caught up with director Olaf de Fleur to interview him about the film, his interest in Buddhism and what it’s like to dedicate 10 years of his own life to a project.
Watch Act Normal on Icelandic Cinema for only €3
Full Thangka Review | Act Normal
Act Normal addresses questions faced by many young men who join a monastery at a young age: What is the “real” world like? What am I missing by not being in a relationship, by not having a family? How can I renounce what I haven’t yet experienced? Shot over a decade in Iceland and Thailand, the film follows a young Englishman who after 16 years as a Buddhist monk puts aside his robes for a wife, a job, and a “normal” life.
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Variety Review | Act Normal
The unusual, if not bizarre, spiritual journey of an Englishman who became a Buddhist monk in Thailand, moved to Iceland, and then gave it all up to marry a Russian is recounted in engaging docu “Act Normal.” Appropriately contemplative in pace, given its subject’s beliefs, this sophomore effort by Icelandic helmer Olaf de Fleur shifts away the jocular tone of his debut “Africa United,” but still lets the warmth of its protagonist’s personality shine through. Pro production values make “Normal” look better than the usual docu fare, which should provide fest circuit-legs and an increased chance of offshore TV bookings.
