Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989): Cast & Plot
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? is a 1989 drama directed by Bae Yong-kyun, starring Hwang Hae-jin as Hae-jin, Sin Won-sop and Lee Pan-yong. It runs 2 hours 24 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 24m (144 min)
- Director
- Bae Yong-kyun
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Korean - Studio
- Bae Yong-kyun Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? About?
The premise of Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? Themes & Keywords
· 32 tags- gentle cinema
- live action
- skinny dipping
- boy
- boy frontal nudity
- boy rear nudity
- boy skinny dipping
- monastery
- teacher
- orphan
- monk
- master
+20 more Show fewer
- enlightenment
- buddhist
- zen
- zen buddhism
- teaching
- religious
- priest
- philosophy
- orphan boy
- mountaintop monastery
- meditation
- korea
- korean
- korean boy
- buddhist temple
- buddhist monk
- asian
- abbey
- buddhism
- religion
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? Cast & Characters
Hwang Hae-jin leads the cast as Hae-jin, with Sin Won-sop as Ki-bong and Lee Pan-yong as Hye-gok. Directed by Bae Yong-kyun; 9 actors are credited in all.
- Director Bae Yong-kyun
- Hwang Hae-jin as Hae-jin
- Sin Won-sop as Ki-bong
- Lee Pan-yong as Hye-gok
- Choi Myeong-deok as Ki-bong's Younger Sister
Also Starring in Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?
· 5 more- Lee Eun-Young Hae-jin's Mother
- Yun Byeong-hui Ki-bong's Mother
- Go Su-myeong Abbot
- Kim Hui-ryong The Other Disciple
- Lee Seon-hye Dancing Girl
More from Bae Yong-kyun
One more film directed by Bae Yong-kyun: The People in White.
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? Plot Summary
What happens in Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 6-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? is a contemplative film that invites quiet reflection on life, death, and the elusive nature of enlightenment through the lens of Seon Buddhism. Centered on three interconnected figures—a young orphaned boy, a novice monk, and an elderly monk—the story unfolds at a remote mountainside monastery where practice, doubt, and compassion collide in patient, often stark ways. The film’s title alludes to Bodhidharma, the legendary sixth-century monk who is said to have transmitted Zen to China, and while the film doesn’t spell out the reference in a literal way, its themes echo that lineage of hard-won insight.
Full summary
The whole story of Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East??
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which three characters are central to the film's narrative?
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? Also Known As
13 alternative titles, including “Dharmaga tongjoguro kan kkadalgun” and “Pourquoi Bodhi-Dharma est-il parti vers l'orient?”.
- Also known as
-
- Dharmaga tongjoguro kan kkadalgun
- Pourquoi Bodhi-Dharma est-il parti vers l'orient?
- Perché Bodhi Dharma è partito per l'oriente?
- Waarom vertrok Bodhidharma naar het oosten?
- Warum Bodhi-Dharma nach Osten aufbrach?
- 達磨はなぜ東へ行ったのか
- Почему Бодхидхарма ушёл на Восток?
- Pourquoi Bodhi-Dharma est-il parti vers l'orient ?
- Zašto je Bodhi-Dharma otišao na Istok?
- Warum Bodhi-Dharma in den Orient aufbrach
- 达摩为何东渡
- Почему Бодхидхарма ушел на Восток?
+1 more Show fewer
- 達摩為何東渡
Seen Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East??
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Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East??
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? runs 2 hours 24 minutes (144 minutes).
When was Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? released?
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? was released on May 16, 1989.
Who directed Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East??
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? was directed by Bae Yong-kyun.
More films by Bae Yong-kyun Who is in the cast of Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East??
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? stars Hwang Hae-jin as Hae-jin, Sin Won-sop as Ki-bong and Lee Pan-yong as Hye-gok, among 9 credited actors.
Does Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? have a post-credit scene?
No. Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? in?
The original language of Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? is Korean.
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