April 25, 2013 – 11:00 am
Free the Mind is a new documentary about the ability of meditation to rewire the brain. Featuring neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, the film follows two veterans grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as Davidson teaches them meditation to ease their pain and help them return to the lives they had [...]
If you’ve read our publisher Jim Gimian’s editorial in our May magazine, you might have noticed something a little odd about it. (That Jim calls himself an “Achiever” in the very first sentence may well have tipped you off.) The editorial is loaded with references to The Big Lebowski, and it’s not just because Jim’s [...]
Is Wolverine a Buddhist? Well, that may be pushing things, but as Jeffrey Kripal’s book Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal says, “Wolverine spent some time in Japan as a boy, speaks fluent Japanese, and practices Zazen.” (He also, as Kripal adds, has practiced tai chi.) And now that he’s got [...]
Naked Mind is a new documentary that explores the effects of meditation and its potential to change society, asking the questions “What does mindfulness mean, how does it relate to human happiness, and what does it mean to practice mindfulness in today’s society?” To make the film, filmmakers Sarah Barab and Paxton Winters traveled to [...]
February 2, 2013 – 1:15 am
With his 1993 film Groundhog Day, Harold Ramis ended up not just making a classic comedy, but an underground Buddhist favorite. Perhaps that’s not such a surprise; as Buddhist author/teacher and comedian Wes Nisker says,“Harold Ramis should be considered a revered lineage holder in the crazy wisdom tradition of the Tibetans.” So, what’s the Buddhism/Ramis [...]
January 8, 2013 – 11:28 am
Jeff Bridges and his longtime friend and Zen teacher Bernie Glassman, made an appearance on Today this morning to promote their new book, The Dude and the Zen Master. The book, a dialogue between the two friends about life, movies, and the importance of doing good, was inspired by Bridges’ character in The Big Lebowski. [...]
October 29, 2012 – 10:39 am
The film version of Cloud Atlas, says our reviewer Scott Mitchell, presents a surprisingly traditional view of karma and rebirth—“and so any attempt to figure out its logic is probably doomed.” (Click here to watch the CA trailer.) Cloud Atlas is an ambitious film: one that is both compelling and something of a mental workout. [...]
October 18, 2012 – 4:40 pm
A new documentary shows that women in the third phase, or “third fire” of their lives have long been underestimated, and have much to offer society. Directed by independent filmmaker Joni Steele Kimberlin, Get Real! Wise Women Speak includes interviews from 18 notable women over the age of 50, including Buddhist nun Tenzin Palmo, actresses [...]
October 2, 2012 – 8:10 pm
Mes Aynak, located just outside Kabul, is home to a sprawling ancient Buddhist monastery complex, filled with hundreds of historical artifacts. It’s also home to the second-largest copper deposit in the world, and the site could be dug up in just a few months. Teams of archaeologists have been frantically trying to salvage as much [...]
September 21, 2012 – 11:14 am
From Connected filmmaker Tiffany Shlain (interviewed in the Shambhala Sun here) comes a new, cloud-sourced “mobile film for global change.” About the film, titled Engaged, Shlain says: “Over the course of 6 months, we asked people from all over the world to send videos of themselves feeling their heartbeat and thinking about what it means. [...]
September 10, 2012 – 12:01 pm
Adam Eurich is a young filmmaker with a goal: to make a film surveying and sharing the best of what Buddhism in America has to offer. “I quit my job,” he says in the new Kickstarter trailer for his film-in-progress, Seeking Heartwood, “sold all my useless stuff, and hit the road… But this film is [...]
September 6, 2012 – 10:08 am
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche may be best known as a Buddhist teacher and author, but he also has a well-established second career as a filmmaker. Under the name Khyentse Norbu, he’s written and directed two well-reviewed feature films, 1999′s The Cup, about two Tibetan novice monks trying to obtain a television so they can watch the [...]
August 30, 2012 – 2:02 pm
For a while now we’ve been awaiting the arrival of Ron Fricke’s new movie Samsara — a spiritual sequel, of sorts, to the masterful Baraka. Now, by way of The Telegraph, comes a new short interview with Fricke and producer Mark Magidson about Samsara, which they call a “guided meditation based on the themes of [...]
We’ve told you before about Samsara, director Ron Fricke’s upcoming sequel, of sorts, to his 1992 masterpiece Baraka. Now, there’s a new trailer out. Shot on 70mm film in over 25 countries, Fricke calls the film “a guided meditation on the cycle of birth death and rebirth.” Watch the new trailer here: Samsara premiered at [...]
Outside of The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and other summer blockbusters, one of the season’s most talked-about films is Kumare: The True Story of a False Prophet. (In fact, Vikram Gandhi, the film’s creator, appeared on The Colbert Report last night—you can watch last night’s episode here.) Watch a trailer for and read a [...]
