Synopsis

At a Tibetan monastery in exile, two young refugees settle into a disciplined new life. Their routine changes when a soccer-obsessed novice becomes determined to watch the 1998 World Cup final. With no television available, the boys and their fellow monks must find a way to bring the match to the remote Himalayan community, balancing spiritual tradition with modern enthusiasm.

Factoids & Trivia

• The Cup is a 1999 Bhutanese-Australian production running approximately 93 minutes. It is also known by its Tibetan title, Phorpa.

• The film was inspired by a true story about young monks trying to watch a World Cup match.

• It is widely recognized as the first feature film made in Bhutan.

• Although the story is set in a Tibetan monastery in exile, filming took place in Bir, a Tibetan refugee settlement in Himachal Pradesh, India.

• The production was filmed largely around Chokling Gompa and Elu Road.

• The Cup became Bhutan's first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, though it was not nominated.

• The film was well received at international festivals, including Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was a runner-up for the Audience Award.

• Its central tension between monastic tradition and global soccer culture gives the film its gentle comic tone and broader theme of modernization.