Sunday 1st November, 12.45pm
The Devotion of Matthieu Ricard
Director: George Schouten,
Babeth M. VanLoo
Running time: 60 minutes
Country: The Netherlands
Year: 2008
Language: English with some English subtitles
Matthieu Ricard left a promising career in cellular genetics in France 40 years ago to devote himself to study Buddhism in the Himalayas. Since then he has lived with the greatest living teachers of that tradition. He was a close disciple of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and since Khyentse Rinpoche's death in 1991 he has devoted his life, together with Rabjam Shechen Rinpoche, to the completion of projects initiated by Khyentse Rinpoche.
A best-seller author (The Monk and the Philosopher, Happiness) and well-known photographer, Ricard captures the spiritual life of his surroundings with his camera. As a trained scientist and Buddhist monk, he mediates the dialogue between Tibetan Buddhism and the West with understanding and compassion.
This film explores the many phases and aspects of Matthieu Ricard’s life, ‘the happiest man alive’ as Time magazine calls him. We see him accompanying HH the Dalai Lama as his personal interpreter, as an active participant in the current scienti?c research on the effects of meditation on the brain, and working on humanitarian projects in different locations in Asia, including Tibet, Nepal and India.
Sunday 1st November, 2.00-3.00pm
Traditional Japanese tea ceremony
Join us for this special Buddhist Film Festival event. Numbers are limited to 100,
so book early - on the ACMI website. Presented by the Chado Urasenke Association.
Sunday 1st November, 3.45pm
The Book of the Dead
Director: Kihachiro Kawamoto
Running time: 70 mins
Country: Japan
Year: 2005
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
This exquisite, haunting Japanese stop-motion animation drama is based on a tale from the Nara period (8th century). A young noblewoman studies the new religion of Buddhism, hand-copying sutras (Buddhist scriptures), trying to understand the teachings of the Buddha.
One evening, after copying a thousand pages of sutras, she sees a radiant figure above a distant mountain. Believing this figure to be the Buddha, she follows him to a temple, where she realises that the figure is the executed prince Otsu, who wanders in torment between this world and the next. The two forge a bond, which ultimately allows the prince to find rest. The director, Kihachiro Kawamoto, has said that the film is dedicated to all the innocent people who have died in recent wars.
Read an interview with Kihachiro Kawamoto in Midnight Eye
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The MBFF website has lots of additional information, please feel free to link to your own website if you feel appropriate. www.melbournebff.com
Sincerely in the Dharma,
Rachael 0421 583131
(on behalf of the MBFF Committee)