The Japanese population’s reaction to the catastrophe of March 2011 has been described as “stoic” by the Western media. The Japanese code of conduct is indeed deeply rooted in their Buddhist traditions, and young filmmakers Tim Graf and Jakob Montrasio observe in detail what this means for the people and their religion. At graveyards, in temples, at monasteries and with families, they question the impact this triple affliction has had on the lives and beliefs of the inhabitants. How deeply do their beliefs affect their grieving? What role do the monks play in assisting people with their grief? And, what effects has this enormous catastrophe had on their religious rituals? SOULS OF ZEN inserts the events of March 2011 into the context of traditional Zen Buddhism, examining Japan’s religiousness and the beliefs of those practising it at a crucial turning point.
Japan blossomed into its Renaissance at approximately the same time as Europe. Unlike the West, it flourished not through conquest and exploration, but by fierce and defiant isolation.
Documentary about the world of the Japanese geisha. Unattainable by all but the wealthy and powerful, geisha are the ultimate massagers of the male ego.
The Kabul National Museum, once known as the "face of Afghanistan," was destroyed in 1993. We filmed the most important cultural treasures of the still-intact museum in 1988: ancient Greco-Roman art and antiquitied of Hellenistic civilization, as well as Buddhist sculpture that was said to have mythology--the art of Gandhara, Bamiyan, and Shotorak among them.
What drives the small community of Frascaro, near Norcia, to remain tied to a land that never ceases to tremble? What moves its inhabitants to dig with their bare hands in the rubble of a church? A crucifix to be reassembled for the patronal procession, a canvas partly buried under the stones that preserve collective memory and signs of atavistic traditions, become emblems of resilience, proud belonging, defence of a culture that wants to stay alive, challenge to isolation after the earthquake.
A view of the religious tensions between Muslims and Buddhist through the portrait of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar.
An old man who is a simple worker decides that he wants to buy a cell phone. He goes to buy some second hand ones but by accident the president's used cell phone is the one which he buys.
Matt, a stereotypical hetero white male, feels he has life figured out by following the status quo. This all changes when he meets Ryan and the illusion of his idyllic life begins to crumble.
A children’s animated feature film based on an internationally bestselling book series for a main target audience of 3 to 8 year olds telling a universal story about friendship, loyalty and honesty in which Little Raven and his friends have to work up all their courage to save their beloved forest.
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department.
