LOCATION: Center for Spiritual LIving Morristown
331 Mount Kemble Ave. (Route 202 South), Morristown NJ 07960 USA
973-539-3114

FILMS LISTED ALPHABETICALLY

Against the Current
USA, 2009, 87 Minutes
Written and directed by Peter Callahan
Saturday at 8:00 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)
Paul Thompson (Joseph Fiennes) is a successful, married, 30-something financial writer and a happy, expectant father. But when tragedy strikes, Paul’s world is turned upside down. Five years later, he decides to fulfill his dream by swimming the entire length of the lower Hudson River – all 150 miles of it. He enlists the aid of his best friend Jeff (Justin Kirk) and Liz (Elizabeth Reaser), a woman he meets at a bar, to come along. All three are doing some soul-searching and looking for meaning in their lives. At once tragic and humorous, the film is a compelling and uncompromising exploration of grief, loss, and the right to determine one’s own fate, as well as the limits and responsibilities of friendship. The film was shot in sequence along the Hudson River, which serves almost as much as a fourth character, as well as stunning backdrop. Joseph Fiennes did his own swimming for the film. Also notable: a brief cameo by Mary Tyler Moore.
Trailer may be seen here:
www.againstthecurrent.net

Azur and Asmar
Belgium/France, 2006/2008, 99 Minutes
Animated Feature • In English
Directed by Michael Ocelot
Saturday at 9:45 AM
($8 adults/ $5 students/ $5 seniors - includes entrance to Interactive Theater for Children with Lauren Hooker at 12 noon)

Once upon a time there were two children nursed by the same woman. Azur, a blond, blue-eyed son of a noblewoman and Asmar, the dark skinned and dark-eyed child of the nurse. The nurse tells them the story of the Djinn fairy waiting to be released from her chamber by a good and heroic prince. Brought up together they are as close as brothers until the day Azur's father cruelly separates them, banishing the nurse and Asmar from his home and sending Azur away to the city to receive schooling from a personal tutor. Years later, Azur is haunted by memories of the legendary Djinn-fairy, and takes it upon himself to journey all the way to Asmar's homeland to seek it out, embarking on a dangerous quest. A beautiful, visually-stunning story of adventure and the power of love between brothers which everyone, young and old, are sure to enjoy.
Recommended for ages 6 to adult.
Trailer may be seen here: www.gkids.com/azur.html


Blessings - The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet
USA, 2009, 104 Minutes
Documentary, Narrated by Richard Gere
Saturday at 1:45 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)
In the summer of 2005, renowned Buddhist teacher, Tsoknyi Rinpoche III, accompanied by a handful of western students, traveled to the Nangchen region in Eastern Tibet. The purpose of the trip was to document the lives and assess the needs of the Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns - 3000 remarkable women who live and practice an ancient yogic tradition in nunneries and hermitages scattered across this remote, mountainous region. The film tells the story of this extraordinary journey.
Viewers who have seen Blessings have been inspired to contribute to an endowment fund (www.pundarika.org) that has been established to provide long-term support for the Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns.
Trailer may be seen here: www.chariotvideos.com/documentary

Buddha's Lost Children
Awaken to the Reality that Unites Us All

Documentary, Netherlands, 2006, 97 minutes
Directed by Mark Verkerk
Sunday at 5:30 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)

A former Thai boxer turned Buddhist monk travels widely on horseback, fearlessly dispensing prayers, health care, education, and tough love to villagers far from the protection and support of governments or non-governmental organizations. With his Golden Horse Temple he's built an orphanage, school and clinic - a haven for the children of the region, who see him as a shaman, father figure, and coach. Stunning cinematography, intimate filmmaking and a compelling story make this film an extraordinary experience of a hidden realm. Buddha's Lost Children gives the term "grassroots Buddhism" new meaning, and in the end it's the children's journey we share - their transformation from neglected village boys to self-confident novices.
Trailer may be seen here: www.buddhaslostchildren.com

Gotta Dance
Feature length Documentary, USA, 2009
Sunday at 1:00 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)

Who says you can’t hip-hop if you’re 80-years-old? Gotta Dance chronicles the debut of the New Jersey Nets' first-ever senior hip-hop dance team, 12 women and 1 man - all dance team newbies, from auditions through to center court stardom. "Joyous! Heartwarming" rave reviewers and audiences.
Trailer may be seen here: www.gottadancethemovie.com


Growtown Motown
Documentary, USA, 2009, 30 minutes
Saturday at 1:30 PM
($5 adults/ $3 students/ $3 seniors)

Christian Schuller, one of filmmakers, has come up with an inspiring and hopeful take on Morristown and community with his short film, Growtown Motown, about the Early Street Community Garden project. A 5-minute version of the film screened at Morristown Green Film Festival last summer; this is the full version. Following the film is a workshop on How To Make Your Own Documentary Film in Friendship Hall.

The Horse Boy
Documentary, USA, 2009, 93 minutes
Saturday at 5:15 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)

How far would you travel to heal someone you love? An intensely personal yet an epic spiritual journey, The Horse Boy follows one Texas couple and their autistic son as they trek on horseback through Outer Mongolia in a desperate attempt to treat his condition with shamanic healing. When 2-year-old Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson, a writer and former horse trainer, and his wife, Kristin Neff, a psychology professor, sought the best possible medical care for their son — but traditional therapies had little effect. Then they discovered that Rowan has a profound affinity for animals — particularly horses — and the family set off on a quest for a possible cure. Part travel adventure, part insight into shamanic tradition, and part intimate look at the autistic mind, this ravishing documentary odyssey gives insight into how, in life’s darkest moments, a gateway to joy and wonder can be found. The Horse Boy has captured Audience Award titles at multiple indie film festivals.
Trailer may be seen here: www.horseboymovie.com/

The Human Experience
Documentary, 2008, 90 minutes
Written by Michael Campo
Directed by Charles Kinnane
Opening Night: Friday at 7:00 PM
followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker/s and a dessert reception in Friendship Hall
(Opening Night: $15 adults/ $12 students/ $12 seniors)

The story of a band of brothers who travel the world in search of the answers to the burning questions: Who am I? Who is Man? Why do we search for meaning? Their journey brings them into the middle of the lives of the homeless on the streets of New York City, the orphans and disabled children of Peru, and the abandoned lepers in the forests of Ghana, Africa. What the young men discover changes them forever. Through one-on-one interviews and real life encounters, the brothers are awakened to the beauty of the human person and the resilience of the human spirit. A profound and moving cinematic experience that has the power to change lives. Winner of 16 Indie Film Festival Awards.
Trailer may be seen here: www.grassrootsfilms.com/thehumanexperience/


A Secular Pilgrim in Jerusalem
Documentary, 2009, 49 minutes
English subtitles
Directed and Written by Elena Canetti
Sunday at 2:45 PM
($8 adults/ $5 students/ $5 seniors)

One morning in Jerusalem, Elena wakes up to the emptiness of her life. Forty-five years old, no children, and no faith. Elena embarks on a cautious journey among the world's three monotheistic religions and their ceremonies, all found in the streets of her city. The well-trodden road changes constantly and unexpected meetings challenge her beliefs. What will she find at the end of the road?

Tulku: Divine Birth, Ordinary Life
Documentary, 20089, 75 minutes
Filmmaker Gesar Mukpo
Saturday at 3:45 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)

Tulku is a documentary film about young people caught between the modern culture they were born into and the ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture from which they were reborn. They are Western "tulkus" – all of them recognized when they were children as reincarnations of great Tibetan Buddhist masters. Filmmaker Gesar Mukpo from Halifax, Nova Scotia, recognized at the age of three, is one of them. In Tulku he sets out to meet others like him – young people struggling between modern and ancient, East and West.

With One Voice -
Awaken to the Reality that Unites Us All

Sunday at 3:45 PM
($10 adults/ $8 students/ $8 seniors)

In this groundbreaking film contemporary mystics share their common vision of that one unifying thread that links and transcends all peoples and all religions, dissolving their apparent differences. They invite us to see beyond our illusionary separateness. If we do, they say, there is no problem we cannot solve. Ultimately their voices lead and exhort us to hear not just their united voice, but the One Voice within us all.

 



If you have a question about the suitability of a particular film for your child, email Film Festival Director Merav Pickel.