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A Retrospective: The First Six
Months
Spiritual Cinema Circle Review
by Tim Miejan
My wife and I love films, particularly those that touch the heart, relate to our
soul's journey and entertain us, while at the same time making us think and see the
bigger picture. So I saw no risk in joining the fledgling Spiritual Cinema Circle
back in May. If Stephen Simon was behind it, along with James Twyman, Neale Donald
Walsch, and Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks, et al., then it was a sure bet to be inspiring.
And it has been. For each of the past seven months, we have received two DVD discs
containing three to five short and feature-length films and documentaries from around
the world. Without a doubt, having seen these films has made our lives much richer.
Bringing us films in the spirit of Whale Rider and What the Bleep, the Circle demonstrates
a wealth of possibility that exists in filmmaking outside of the metroplex.
This is the debut of a monthly review of films that are sent to subscribers. This
month, I offer a retrospective glance at one film from each of the first six months.
Volume 1 | Finding Joy [95 minutes, feature film, Australia]
A fearful fortysomething woman by the name of Joy is seeking joy in her life. Two
guys simultaneously come into her life, one a Blue Heeler named Raffi and the other
a singer-songwriter who inspires Joy to blossom into the woman she truly is. Featuring
new-agey ideas and even a creativity workshop, this is a heart-filled film that explores:
"What's life without love, and what's love without joy?" It was written
and directed by the lead actress, Billie Dean, who also is an author and professional
animal communicator.
Volume 2 | Water Ghost [29 minutes, short film, USA]
Award-winning Chinese American director Elizabeth Sung offers this beautiful film
that explores the balance between past and present, between mystery and revelation,
through the eyes of a teenage girl who is mourning the death of her mother. Melancholy
is offset with serenity that comes with looking deeply into the unknown.
Volume 3 | Mother Ghost [85 minutes, feature film, USA]
Perhaps the best film offered thus far by the Circle, Mother Ghost features big-name
actors (Dana Delany, Joe Mantegna, Garry Marshall) and even bigger tugs of the heart
when the lead actor (Mark Thompson) confronts a radio psychologist (Kevin Pollak)
and probes his biggest secret following the death of his mother. This film is powerfully
emotional, tackling issues related to guilt and forgiveness. How do we let loved
ones back into our lives once we have turned away from them, and how do we allow
loved ones to go once they have left their bodies?
Volume 4 | Memories of Earth [68 minutes, documentary, Canada]
One of the many educational and moving documentaries offered by the Circle, this
film explores the Haida people, who have lived for 10,000 years on the Queen Charlotte
Islands, or what they call Haida Gwaii ("Our Land") just off the coast
of British Columbia near Vancouver. A mixture of animated art by Frédérick
Back and beautiful nature cinematography, Memories of Earth shares the creation myths
of the Haida and also documents the disastrous effect of outside influences on a
culture that is based on living in balance with the Earth. Enjoy the art of the Haida
-- wood sculptures and massive totem poles that keep their ancestral spirit alive.
Volume 5 | Right Here, Right Now [29 minutes, short film, India, subtitles]
Not unlike the 1991 Richard Linklater film Slacker, we move from one character's
interaction with another person, and then follow the second person to the third,
and so on. Right Here, Right Now follows 19 characters in 17 locations, with only
two cuts in the action. Throughout the first half of the film, each character affects
the next one in an unpeaceful or negative way, and likewise, the second half of the
film demonstrates positivity flowing from one person to the next. This fast-paced
film, set to traditional Indian music, manages to connect the dots and close the
circle.
Volume 6 | Eldra [94 minutes, feature film, Wales, subtitles]
This coming-of-age story, set in turn-of-the-century Wales, explores life in a community
from the perspective of outsiders, in this case, a gypsy family that has settled
down to school, job and home life rather than caravaning from place to place as their
relatives still do. Eldra is a teenage girl whose mind dwells in the realm of fairies
and nature. She loves to hear her uncle Taid tell the stories of her people, and
he reminds her to "remember who you are." She dreams of running away, living
and traveling with her people, and yet, she lives in a clash of cultures where prejudice
tries to undermine her individuality.
Next month: A review of Farther than the Eye can See, a documentary that follows
a blind climber to the summit of Mt. Everest. To subscribe to Spiritual Cinema Circle,
visit www.spiritualcinemacircle.com
Tim Miejan is editor of Edge Life magazine. Contact him at (651) 578-8969, toll-free
1 (888) 776-5687 or e-mail editor@edgelife.net
Copyright © 2004 Tim Miejan, all rights reserved. |
| Dec 2004 |
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