Mondō (Jap.; Chin., wen-ta). ‘Question and answer’, the exchange between teacher and pupil in Zen Buddhism, which evokes from a pupil, not so much an answer as an expression of the pupil's deepest disposition (kokoro). Many mondōs were recorded later as kōans. See also HOSSEN.

Mondo ★★ 1996

Orphaned gypsy boy Mondo (Balan) winds up living on the streets of Nice looking for a new family. He's befriended and sheltered by various street people as he hides from the police who want to place him in care. Based on the novel “Ed. Gallinard” by J.M.G. Le Clezio. French with subtitles. 80m/C VHS . FR Ovidiu Balan, Philippe Petit, Pierrette Fesch, Jerry Smith; D: Tony Gatlif; W: Tony Gatlif; C: Eric Guichard.

mondo used in reference to something very striking or remarkable of its kind (often in conjunction with a pseudo-Italian noun or adjective). The term comes from Italian Mondo Cane, literally ‘dog's world’, the title of a film (1961) depicting bizarre behaviour.