Act Normal

Running time: 70 mins

Filmed over the course of 10 years, this moving story follows one man?s spiritual journey after he leaves a Buddhist monastery to take a bride, only to find he's lost his way.

When Yuri Gagarin became the first man in Space, a young boy was looking up to the sky. Robert T. Edison did not suspect that his enthusiasm for space travels would lead him to the most dramatic decision of his life. Born and raised in Nottingham, England, Robert started practicing Buddhism from an early age, and when advised to seek further guidance, he traveled to a monastery in Thailand. Originally planning to stay three months, Robert stayed 10 years. During a visit to Kazakhstan to visit a space station, he meets an aerobic instructor, marries her and resigns from the monk-hood after 16 years. But when his marriage lasts only five months, he has to face the challenges that any ?normal? person does: the working world, dating, even wearing pants. Olaf de Fleur?s meditative Act Normal magnificently portrays a man?s unlikely transformation through stunning cinematography, extensive interviews with Robert himself, and Bardi Jóhannsson?s calm and beautiful score.



David Brooks

MAVERICK COMPETITION