Browse Titles - 18 results
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Between Two Worlds: A Japanese Pilgrimage
directed by Joanne Hershfield, 1950- and Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992; produced by Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992 and Joanne Hershfield, 1950- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1994), 30 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
For centuries, pilgrims have come to the Japanese island of Shikoku to trace the 1,000-mile route known as the 'Pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku', a journey believed to have been first undertaken by Kobo Daishi, founder of Buddhism's Shingon sect in the ninth century. This illuminating documentary is...
Sample
directed by Joanne Hershfield, 1950- and Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992; produced by Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992 and Joanne Hershfield, 1950- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1994), 30 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
For centuries, pilgrims have come to the Japanese island of Shikoku to trace the 1,000-mile route known as the 'Pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku', a journey believed to have been first undertaken by Kobo Daishi, founder of Buddhism's Shingon sect in the ninth century. This illuminating documentary is a visual meditation on the phenomenon of pilgrimage and, to a lesser extent, on the processes of ethnographic filmmaking. It combines i...
For centuries, pilgrims have come to the Japanese island of Shikoku to trace the 1,000-mile route known as the 'Pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku', a journey believed to have been first undertaken by Kobo Daishi, founder of Buddhism's Shingon sect in the ninth century. This illuminating documentary is a visual meditation on the phenomenon of pilgrimage and, to a lesser extent, on the processes of ethnographic filmmaking. It combines images of traditional and modern Japan, excerpts from the writings of Kobo Daishi, and commentary by pilgrims, everyday Japanese, and the filmmakers themselves to explore the meaning and persistence of 'pilgrimage' in contemporary industrial Japan. By examining the effects that rapid change has had on this ritual journey, the film asks: Why do people still undertake pilgrimages to 'sacred' places? This thought-provoking documentary will generate discussion in courses in Asian studies, Japanese studies, cultural anthropology, Buddhism, and comparative religion. It was produced by Joanne Hershfield and Susan Caperna Lloyd.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992, Joanne Hershfield, 1950-
Author / Creator
Joanne Hershfield, 1950-, Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992
Date Published / Released
1992, 1994
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Buddhism, Pilgrimage, Religious beliefs, Japanese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1994 Berkeley Media
×
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Cities in China, Beijing
directed by Peter C. Wang, fl. 1981; produced by Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, in Cities in China (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1981), 46 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
This acclaimed documentary -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- conveys the texture and flavor of the venerable Chinese capital through a close-up look at a number of its inhabitants, both young and old, with varied and fascinating backgrounds. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of a t...
Sample
directed by Peter C. Wang, fl. 1981; produced by Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, in Cities in China (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1981), 46 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
This acclaimed documentary -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- conveys the texture and flavor of the venerable Chinese capital through a close-up look at a number of its inhabitants, both young and old, with varied and fascinating backgrounds. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of a timeless but rapidly changing metropolis. The gold and vermilion roofs of the Forbidden Palace, recalling the splendor of the imperial p...
This acclaimed documentary -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- conveys the texture and flavor of the venerable Chinese capital through a close-up look at a number of its inhabitants, both young and old, with varied and fascinating backgrounds. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of a timeless but rapidly changing metropolis. The gold and vermilion roofs of the Forbidden Palace, recalling the splendor of the imperial past, still dominate the center of the city, but highrise apartment buildings are encroaching upon traditional single-story neighborhoods and are dramatically changing the skyline. Highlights include a backstage tour of the Peking Opera, a family reunion of four generations previously dispersed to far-flung outposts, and an interview with the brother of China's last emperor.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, James Hong, 1929-
Author / Creator
Peter C. Wang, fl. 1981
Date Published / Released
1981
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Series
Cities in China
Speaker / Narrator
James Hong, 1929-
Topic / Theme
History, City life, Tourist attractions, Chinese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1981 Berkeley Media
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Cities in China, Suzhou
directed by Shirley Sun, fl. 1980 and Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986; produced by Shirley Sun, fl. 1980 and Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, in Cities in China (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1981), 29 mins
Known for centuries as the center of Chinese culture and aesthetics, this Yangzi delta city has often been called the 'Venice of the East' because of its many canals and bridges. This beautifully filmed portrait of the city leads the viewer through markets and teahouses, sweet shops and bookstores, rice paddies an...
Sample
directed by Shirley Sun, fl. 1980 and Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986; produced by Shirley Sun, fl. 1980 and Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, in Cities in China (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1981), 29 mins
Description
Known for centuries as the center of Chinese culture and aesthetics, this Yangzi delta city has often been called the 'Venice of the East' because of its many canals and bridges. This beautifully filmed portrait of the city leads the viewer through markets and teahouses, sweet shops and bookstores, rice paddies and fish stalls, and two of Suzhou's exquisite gardens.The film -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- explores the p...
Known for centuries as the center of Chinese culture and aesthetics, this Yangzi delta city has often been called the 'Venice of the East' because of its many canals and bridges. This beautifully filmed portrait of the city leads the viewer through markets and teahouses, sweet shops and bookstores, rice paddies and fish stalls, and two of Suzhou's exquisite gardens.The film -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- explores the process of silk cultivation, long a Suzhou specialty, and shows the preparation of a regional meal in a simple home kitchen. Two elegant young women sing in a garden, evoking the celebrated days of the literati gathering. An expressive storyteller recounts a traditional epic, enhancing his tale with the sound effect of drum rolls and charging horses.The film concludes with visits to two of Suzhou's famed gardens: the Net Master's Garden and the Garden of the Humble Politician. Whether sensed in these fabled gardens, or evoked in the banter of elderly gentlemen taking tea together, a persistent devotion to basic moral values in shown to be intrinsic to Suzhou life.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Shirley Sun, fl. 1980, Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986
Author / Creator
Shirley Sun, fl. 1980, Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986
Date Published / Released
1981
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Series
Cities in China
Topic / Theme
Social customs, Work life, Cultural life, Chinese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1981 Berkeley Media
×
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Cities in China, Xian
produced by Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, in Cities in China (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1981), 1 hour
This wide-ranging documentary -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- presents a cultural history of the ancient Chinese imperial city, once the greatest capital in the world and the Eastern terminus of the famed Silk Road.Just outside the city lies one of the world's most spectacular archaeolog...
Sample
produced by Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986, in Cities in China (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1981), 1 hour
Description
This wide-ranging documentary -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- presents a cultural history of the ancient Chinese imperial city, once the greatest capital in the world and the Eastern terminus of the famed Silk Road.Just outside the city lies one of the world's most spectacular archaeological sites, the burial tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, who unified the country and connected the Great Wall. The highl...
This wide-ranging documentary -- from the classic three-part 'Cities in China Series' -- presents a cultural history of the ancient Chinese imperial city, once the greatest capital in the world and the Eastern terminus of the famed Silk Road.Just outside the city lies one of the world's most spectacular archaeological sites, the burial tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, who unified the country and connected the Great Wall. The highlight of the film is its extensive and unique footage of his immense underground army vault, which is larger than a football field, and filled with a life-sized pottery army numbering some 6,000 startlingly lifelike warriors, plus horses, chariots, and weapons.Traveling to nearby areas, the film shows many smaller but also impressive sights. A demonstration of calligraphic stone-rubbing illustrates how picture, style, idea, and moral character come together in Chinese writing. Among several other important archaeological sites visited are the majestic tumulus of the Empress Wu, who boldly left her memorial slab blank so it could be filled in by future generations, and the tomb of her granddaughter, the Princess Yung-tai, with its beautiful murals and exquisite glazed figurines in wall niches.Interspersed with these memories of the past are contemporary scenes of the region's ever-pervasive yellow earth and the enduring, perennial life that it sustains.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Li Sue Yung, fl. 1984-1986
Date Published / Released
1981
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Series
Cities in China
Topic / Theme
Monarchs, Burial customs, Archaeological sites, Chinese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1981 Berkeley Media
×
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Destination: Tourism
directed by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007; produced by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2007), 20 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has d...
Sample
directed by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007; produced by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2007), 20 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity 'industry' which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary exp...
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity 'industry' which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary explores the complex, interconnected effects of tourism, globalization, culture, philanthropy, and religion in Bodh Gaya. Destination: Tourism provides a deeply perceptive and incisive ethnographic case study as well as a poignant illustration of the overwhelming challenges facing many of the world's poor as they struggle to eke out a living in a seasonal economy almost completely dependent on foreign tourists. As the film illuminates, the tourism economy's volatile nature provides only seasonal and temporary work for local residents: time in Bodh Gaya is measured by the coming and going of strangers. For four winter months there are tourists, and therefore work. The rest of the year is marked by desperate unemployment. In addition, dozens of foreign-owned and foreign-operated monasteries function like all-inclusive resorts, monopolizing tourism services. The monasteries also inflate real-estate values: when farmlands become monasteries, farmers must find a new livelihood. Survival has become a challenge for Bodh Gaya's residents. In the search for sustainable employment, entrepreneurial locals have established hundreds of charity schools for destitute children. These village schools are entirely funded by tourist donations and have become a not-to-be-missed point on the Bodh Gaya tourist itinerary. The mud-hut schools and their slate-and-chalk students have become a 'Kodak moment' for the visiting Buddhist pilgrims, and a means of livelihood for local residents. Destination: Tourism will generate thought and discussion in any course dealing with international development and globalization, as well as a variety of courses in cultural anthropology, Asian and Indian studies, tourist studies, and religious studies. It was produced by Dafna Kory. The DVD version of the film is fully authored by the filmmaker and includes menus and chapter headings.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Dafna Kory, fl. 2007
Author / Creator
Dafna Kory, fl. 2007
Date Published / Released
2007
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Tourism industry, Poverty, Charity, Buddhism, Pilgrimage, Hindi
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2007 Berkeley Media
×
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Destination: Tourism, With Audio Description
(Berkeley Media, 2007), 20 mins
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has d...
Sample
(Berkeley Media, 2007), 20 mins
Description
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity 'industry' which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary exp...
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity 'industry' which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary explores the complex, interconnected effects of tourism, globalization, culture, philanthropy, and religion in Bodh Gaya. Destination: Tourism provides a deeply perceptive and incisive ethnographic case study as well as a poignant illustration of the overwhelming challenges facing many of the world's poor as they struggle to eke out a living in a seasonal economy almost completely dependent on foreign tourists. As the film illuminates, the tourism economy's volatile nature provides only seasonal and temporary work for local residents: time in Bodh Gaya is measured by the coming and going of strangers. For four winter months there are tourists, and therefore work. The rest of the year is marked by desperate unemployment. In addition, dozens of foreign-owned and foreign-operated monasteries function like all-inclusive resorts, monopolizing tourism services. The monasteries also inflate real-estate values: when farmlands become monasteries, farmers must find a new livelihood. Survival has become a challenge for Bodh Gaya's residents. In the search for sustainable employment, entrepreneurial locals have established hundreds of charity schools for destitute children. These village schools are entirely funded by tourist donations and have become a not-to-be-missed point on the Bodh Gaya tourist itinerary. The mud-hut schools and their slate-and-chalk students have become a 'Kodak moment' for the visiting Buddhist pilgrims, and a means of livelihood for local residents. Destination: Tourism will generate thought and discussion in any course dealing with international development and globalization, as well as a variety of courses in cultural anthropology, Asian and Indian studies, tourist studies, and religious studies. It was produced by Dafna Kory. The DVD version of the film is fully authored by the filmmaker and includes menus and chapter headings.
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Field of Study
Anthropology, Diversity
Date Published / Released
2007
Publisher
Berkeley Media
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Ganges: River to Heaven
directed by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000; produced by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000, Aerial Productions (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2005), 52 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
This extraordinary documentary explores with unparalleled intimacy one of the most cherished of Hindu religious aspirations: to die in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, in the faith that dying here assures liberation from the cycle of earthly life. In Varanasi (also called Kashi), the power...
Sample
directed by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000; produced by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000, Aerial Productions (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2005), 52 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
This extraordinary documentary explores with unparalleled intimacy one of the most cherished of Hindu religious aspirations: to die in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, in the faith that dying here assures liberation from the cycle of earthly life. In Varanasi (also called Kashi), the power of Ganga, the Hindu mother-goddess of the Ganges River, is strongest. Each dawn she calls her children to the ghats, the steps leading...
This extraordinary documentary explores with unparalleled intimacy one of the most cherished of Hindu religious aspirations: to die in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, in the faith that dying here assures liberation from the cycle of earthly life. In Varanasi (also called Kashi), the power of Ganga, the Hindu mother-goddess of the Ganges River, is strongest. Each dawn she calls her children to the ghats, the steps leading down to the water's edge. The young and strong purify themselves in the river's polluted waters. The old and the infirm, too weak for rituals, wait for death. In time, Ganga carries their souls, released from the bondage of reincarnation, to heaven. Their bodies, as ash afloat her crests or flesh submerged in her depths, return to the river. Shot in a hospice for the dying and on the ghats of Varanasi, the film follows four families' struggles to grant a loved one's final wish: to go to heaven. In their common quest the families become a fraction of the hordes of Hindus drawn to the city's holy promise of freedom from reincarnation. As the clans prepare for death, the citizens of Varanasi manage life -- praying for health, dumping industrial waste, begging for pocket change, bathing their children, selling to tourists, monitoring fecal chloroform levels, cremating their mothers -- along the banks of the Ganges. The four families' preparations go virtually unnoticed along the river, where death is a daily part of life. 'Ganges: River to Heaven' investigates the inextricable bond between the sacred river and its people with remarkable sensitivity and depth. From the ghat workers gathering wood for the next cremation, to the chemists gathering water samples for contamination-testing, each perspective sheds new light on India's evolving society and its unchanging veneration of the Ganges. The film also examines many viewpoints on the death process: the families who bring their beloved dying to Kashi Labh Mukti Bhavan, a hospice for the dying; the proprietors of the hospice and their understanding of the service they provide; and the workers and proprietors of the cremation grounds where the bodies are brought for final rites. Keenly observed and filled with unforgettable imagery of ceremonies, rituals, and daily life and death, 'Ganges: River to Heaven' sheds a profoundly revealing light on the sacred river, polluted from years of overuse, and wonders if the natural force strong enough to sculpt the peaks of the Himalayas and the beliefs of a nation will survive the adoration of generations to come. This illuminating film will engage and challenge students and generate thought and discussion in a wide variety of courses in Asian and Indian studies, cultural anthropology, religion, death and dying, and environmental studies. It was produced by award-winning filmmaker Gayle Ferraro (see also 'Anonymously Yours' and 'Sixteen Decisions').
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000, Aerial Productions
Author / Creator
Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000
Date Published / Released
2005
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Hinduism, Religious beliefs, Death, Hospices, Hindustani
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2005 Berkeley Media
×
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The Great Ceremony to Straighten the World
directed by Jann Pasler, 1951-; produced by Jann Pasler, 1951- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1994), 56 mins
Caught between the seduction of prosperity and the threat of cultural disintegration, the people of Bali engage in ceremonies. Through them, the Balinese attempt to maintain balance with God, nature, and one another, and also to turn the recent prosperity from the booming tourist trade into a way of invigorating t...
Sample
directed by Jann Pasler, 1951-; produced by Jann Pasler, 1951- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1994), 56 mins
Description
Caught between the seduction of prosperity and the threat of cultural disintegration, the people of Bali engage in ceremonies. Through them, the Balinese attempt to maintain balance with God, nature, and one another, and also to turn the recent prosperity from the booming tourist trade into a way of invigorating their culture. This insightful documentary depicts one of Bali's most important ceremonies, one not enacted for nearly 100 years. The ce...
Caught between the seduction of prosperity and the threat of cultural disintegration, the people of Bali engage in ceremonies. Through them, the Balinese attempt to maintain balance with God, nature, and one another, and also to turn the recent prosperity from the booming tourist trade into a way of invigorating their culture. This insightful documentary depicts one of Bali's most important ceremonies, one not enacted for nearly 100 years. The ceremony addresses a modern world gone seriously out of balance; it is also meant to remind the Balinese of their history and to engage them in its re-enactment. The video captures highlights of the ceremony while Balinese of varying backgrounds comment on its religious, environmental, cultural, and political meaning. The video will stimulate discussion and analysis in courses in cultural anthropology, religion, Asian and Balinese studies, and ethnomusicology. It was produced by Jann Pasler, Prof. of Music, University of California, San Diego.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jann Pasler, 1951-
Author / Creator
Jann Pasler, 1951-
Date Published / Released
1994
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Folklore, Religious rites and ceremonies, Music, Balinese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1994 Berkeley Media
×
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Kahyangan: The Balinese Journey of the Soul
produced by Eli Hollander, fl. 1982 and Linda Burman-Hall (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2010), 54 mins
This remarkable and at times mesmerizing documentary explores the full cycle of Balinese death rituals that support and protect the soul's journey in its endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The specific ceremonies, which vary according to social and economic level, family tradition, and individual circumsta...
Sample
produced by Eli Hollander, fl. 1982 and Linda Burman-Hall (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2010), 54 mins
Description
This remarkable and at times mesmerizing documentary explores the full cycle of Balinese death rituals that support and protect the soul's journey in its endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The specific ceremonies, which vary according to social and economic level, family tradition, and individual circumstance, are linked through Hindu-Buddhist tradition and the centrality of various Balinese forms of gamelan and vocal music that validate...
This remarkable and at times mesmerizing documentary explores the full cycle of Balinese death rituals that support and protect the soul's journey in its endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The specific ceremonies, which vary according to social and economic level, family tradition, and individual circumstance, are linked through Hindu-Buddhist tradition and the centrality of various Balinese forms of gamelan and vocal music that validate the rituals, protect the deceased, and guide the soul on its journey.Tied together by the shadow-play story of Cupak, a mortal who traveled to the land of the dead to find his father (Lord Brahma/God), and shaped by Meluasan (a visit to a traditional psychic to determine the wishes of a deceased for their upcoming ceremonies), the film documents elaborate ceremonies for persons of wealth and social distinction along with equivalent ceremonies for commoners. The ceremonies aim to return the body to the five elements: earth, water, fire, space, and wind, and to reunite the soul with God.The ceremonies examined include body washing and beautification, burial, mass exhumation, individual and mass cremation, arranging of bones, releasing ash into streams, reclaiming purified souls from the sea, introducing the spirit to the Gods, and bringing the spirit home to the family temple. Viewers are provided with a rare opportunity to witness both public and private ceremonies captured with unflinching attention to detail.Kahyangan is the second film (see also Kawitan: Creating Childhood in Bali) in a projected cycle of documentaries portraying the principal life and after-life ceremonies in Balinese Hindu-Buddhist religion and culture. The film is a collaboration between ethnomusicologist Linda Burman-Hall and director Eli Hollander, both of University of California Santa Cruz. It will stimulate thought and discussion in a wide range of courses in Asian and Balinese studies, cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, and religion.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Eli Hollander, fl. 1982, Linda Burman-Hall
Date Published / Released
2010
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Death, Religious rites and ceremonies, Burial customs, Balinese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2010 Berkeley Media
×
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Kamakha Through Prayerful Eyes
produced by Aparna Sharma, fl. 2012 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2012), 51 mins
This "finely crafted, lyrical exploration of a sacred site" creatively captures the complexity and mystery surrounding Kamakhya Temple, an ancient place of fertility worship in India's northeastern state of Assam. This temple is unique among Hindu temples of the Devi (the Goddess) in that it enshrines no image of...
Sample
produced by Aparna Sharma, fl. 2012 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2012), 51 mins
Description
This "finely crafted, lyrical exploration of a sacred site" creatively captures the complexity and mystery surrounding Kamakhya Temple, an ancient place of fertility worship in India's northeastern state of Assam. This temple is unique among Hindu temples of the Devi (the Goddess) in that it enshrines no image of Her.In the corner of a dark cave is a rock with an impression of the yoni (the female sexual organs) of the Goddess. This rock is moist...
This "finely crafted, lyrical exploration of a sacred site" creatively captures the complexity and mystery surrounding Kamakhya Temple, an ancient place of fertility worship in India's northeastern state of Assam. This temple is unique among Hindu temples of the Devi (the Goddess) in that it enshrines no image of Her.In the corner of a dark cave is a rock with an impression of the yoni (the female sexual organs) of the Goddess. This rock is moistened by the waters of a natural spring and it remains covered at all times. Devotees and visitors prostrate before this rock and touch it to connect with the Goddess. No one sees Her.Yet when one steps out of the cave one encounters a rich panorama of visual representations of the Goddess and Her temple, ranging from the ancient sculpture on the temple façade, devotees’ private photographs, Hindu bazaar arts, crafts, and non-objective painting. Filmmaker Aparna Sharma's deft and imaginative imagery and editing luminously reveal the myriad ways by which devotees visualize Kamakhya, the Goddess who resides in Secret and is not Seen.Fertility worship at Kamakhya dates back to ancient times when the temple complex was a conglomeration of large rocks used by the matriarchal tribes: the Khasis and Garos of Assam. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the temple was assimilated into mainstream Hindu culture. But the film examines visual renditions that are distinct from and more complex than the dominant Hindu narrative relating to the site. It begins by evoking the Goddess through a poem by Assam’s acclaimed poet, Nilmani Phukan, that is visualized in an immersive montage situating the temple complex in the Assamese landscape.After a portrait of everyday proceedings at the temple, the film moves to two artists who live in its vicinity, depicting their creative motivations, how the Goddess inspires them, and how they give Her form. The film follows the artistic methods they practice on a daily basis and shows how their creations sit within the broader social community surrounding the temple. The film combines observational and reflexive methods to explore how devotees of different socio-cultural backgrounds and aesthetic persuasions imagine and give form to the Goddess who exceeds visual representation.Kamakha Through Prayerful Eyes is at once a riveting ethnographic documentary and an innovative work of filmic art itself. It achieves what its subjects aspire to do: to visualize a Mystery that is not visible. In doing so its impact on viewers is mesmerizing and memorable.Kamakha Through Prayerful Eyes will generate thought and discussion in a wide array of classes in Asian and Indian studies, cultural anthropology, religious studies, women's studies, and film studies. It was produced by Aparna Sharma, a documentary filmmaker, film theorist, and Assistant Professor in the Dept. of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, UCLA. An informative Instructor's Guide written by Prof. Sharma accompanies the film.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Aparna Sharma, fl. 2012
Date Published / Released
2012
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Visual art, Places of worship, Religious literature, Fertility, Hindustani
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2013 Berkeley Media
×
