The highlight of the Korean series is this film which “follows the disparate ways of two Buddhist monks, one seeking the path to nirvana through sensual pleasure, the other through conventional asceticism. Each monk has serious doubts, and director Kwontaik Im examines and contrasts the different natures of their religious crises, and their often tormented quests to resolve them. The result is a fascinating discourse on individual religious dilemma and the search for enlightenment. Mandala is adapted from a controversial novel which shocked readers by its strong portrayal of the anguish suffered by some Buddhist monks in their search for enlightenment.
“Kwontaik Im has been making films since 1962, though he took his degree in Korean Language and Literature. He has made 72 films to date. Mandala won South Korea's Great Bell Prize in 1981, and was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival of 1982.” --Asia Society