The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable is a documentary about Dutch-Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz's unlikely path into Wu-Tang Clan's inner circle. It traces the creation of the one-of-one album Once

A devoted fan enters the creative world of Wu-Tang Clan and becomes the driving force behind the creation of an album designed to have only one copy in existence. Directed by Joanna Natasegara, the feature documentary *The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable* centers on the extraordinary journey of Tarik Azzougarh, also known as Cilvaringz.

The film’s subject, *Once Upon a Time in Shaolin*, is Wu-Tang Clan’s seventh studio album, secretly recorded over six years. The sole copy, housed in an ornate silver case, sold at auction in 2015 for approximately $2 million, under terms prohibiting its commercial release until 2103. In a digital environment where duplication has become the norm, the album was an attempt to make music a one-of-a-kind work of art rather than mass-distributed content.

Drawing on his teenage fandom, Cilvaringz gains access to Wu-Tang Clan’s inner creative circle and builds a relationship with RZA. The documentary explores how this access led to the creation of an album, as well as why such a grand artistic gesture sparked controversy. Rather than simply retracing the auction price of a rare record, it connects the questions of who owns music and how its value is determined to the choices made by its central figure.

Natasegara’s feature directorial debut premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival before its release on Netflix. Over its 107-minute runtime, it examines the tensions between fan and idol, disciple and teacher, and artistic scarcity and public accessibility.

Source: Netflix Tudum · Netflix Media Center