Directed and written by Khyentse Norbu, THE CUP is a simple little story of a tiny piece of the outside world coming to a Tibetan monastery in exile in Northern India. The film opens showing the daily life in a Tibetan monastery. It may not be intended but the primary message of these scenes is that the life of a monk is one of monotony that would drive the rest of us crazy. At least there are interesting characters to flesh out the tedium like a monastery soothsayer who gets little respect from anyone. In the daily routine there is cooking and prayer and occasional exercise.
Nothing drives home the monotony better than a scene in which visitors have arrived.
The abbot and some high monks talk to them. The monks are in the traditional yellow and maroon robes. The curtains are in the same yellow as the robes, the luggage is in the same maroon. One's eye searches in vain for a break in the color scheme. The young monks like to play football with anything available.