A moving meditation, Portrait of a Monastery is a stunning documentary on the Holy Cross Monastery in upstate New York. In it, we are taken through three seasons in the lives of these monks. We enter a space of cultivated peace and reflection—the monastery itself and the natural world surrounding it.
An abundance of wide long shots enables the stillness of the monastery to shine through. We hear silence, the sounds of nature, prayer, and hymns. The grandeur of the water, trees, and sky match the gravity of the monastic space. In winter, the snow matches the whiteness of their robes and the walls of the building. The most color we see in this season is found in images of Jesus Christ and the sky above the lake.
A recurring shot of the lake, shown each season, grounds the viewer in the cycles of nature through the daily rituals of the monks. Visitors (families, churchgoers) and activities (playing boardgames, watching the eclipse) in plainclothes punctuate the smooth continuity of the monastery.
As the world around them shifts, so does the activity inside. Summer brings rest and recreation—gardening, crocheting—while Spring brings renewing light through the windows. The ringing of the bell is ever insistent through it all.
Each ritual is given new meaning. By observing each monk look closely at their watch before pulling on the bell, we absorb some of their practiced concentration. From reading and writing to painting sculptures, simple activities hold more weight. Time slows in the monastery, and so do our ever-stimulated minds.
Director John Decker takes the audience on a yearlong retreat in forty minutes, appreciating the sanctity of the music as well as the prayers, the light of spring as well as the white of winter. It is a gift to be present with the monks of Holy Cross.
This film is a treat to observe. Come meditate on the passing of time at the New Jersey Film Festival screening of Portrait of a Monastery!
Portrait of a Monastery screens as part of the Short Documentary Program on Saturday, January 24, 2026 – Online for 24 Hours on this date and In-Person at 7PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901! Director John Decker will be at the screening to do a Q+A with the audience at the in-person screening! Get more info and buy tickets here.
The 44th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between January 23-February 22, 2026. The Festival will be a hybrid one as we will be presenting it online as well as doing in-person screenings at Rutgers University. Most of the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VOD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person when both are offered. Also, we will be offering two FREE Filmmaking Workshops! The in-person screenings and the filmmaking workshops will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 1PM, 5PM or 7PM on their show date. General Admission Ticket=$15 Per Program; Festival All Access Pass=$120; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program. The Filmmaking Workshops are FREE and open to the public but have limited seating and require advance registration. To register email us at [email protected]
For more info go here: FESTIVAL WEBSITE
