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In 1942, at the height of World War II, Martin Heidegger, the most influential philosopher of the twentieth century, delivered a series of lectures on The Ister, Friedrich Holderlin's poem about the Danube River, which referred to the waterway by its ancient Greek name.

Heidegger had achieved worldwide fame in 1927 for his philosophical magnum opus, Being and Time. In 1933, Heidegger embraced the National Socialist 'revolution,' becoming rector of Freiburg University. His inaugural address culminated in "Heil Hitler!" After clashing with the Nazi bureaucracy, however, he resigned the rectorate in 1934.

Eight years later, as the tide of the war was turning against Germany, Heidegger spent the summer semester lecturing on the poetry of Friedrich Holderlin, focusing on his poem The Ister. Rather than an esoteric retreat into the realm of aesthetics, Heidegger's lectures directly addressed the political, cultural and military chaos facing Germany and the world in 1942.

THE ISTER takes up some of the most challenging paths in Heidegger's thought, as we journey from the mouth of the Danube River in Romania to its source in the Black Forest. However controversial Heidegger remains, his thought remains alive in the work of some of the most remarkable thinkers and artists working today, four of whom discuss the contemporary social relevance of Heidegger, including Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, Jean-Luc Nancy, Bernard Stiegler, and filmmaker Hans-Jürgen Syberberg.

Winding through the shattered remains of the former Yugoslavia, through a Hungary busily restoring its national mythology, and through a Germany that is both the heart of the new Europe and the ghost of the old one, the Danube itself is the question of the film. In addition to its mentally stimulating, at times even challenging, philosophical discourse, THE ISTER features stunning natural vistas along the nearly 2,000-mile length of one of Europe's major rivers, as well as ancient Greek ruins, the Mauthausen concentration camp, Yugoslavian bridges devastated by NATO bombings, and King Ludwig's Walhalla temple.

By drawing the places and times of the river into a constellation with Heidegger's thought, THE ISTER invites the viewer to participate in some of the most provocative questions facing Europe and the world today. These questions-of home and place, culture and memory, of technology and ecology, of politics and war-concern us today just as much as they did Heidegger in 1942.

Takes up some of the most challenging paths in Martin Heidegger's thought, inviting the viewer to participate in some of the most provocative questions facing Europe and the world today.

"A probing, evasive meditation on time, culture and change, images and actions, and the necessity for both."—Film Comment
"An impressive philosophical exercise and a meditative work of cinematic beauty."—Jamie Russell, BBC
"A rich, dense and exhilarating series of connections, arguments and ambiguities. The film is full of historical associations and references, but it is a work in the present tense, a documentary with a sense of immediacy and inquiry, a film about past and present that makes use of cinema's power of associations, its ability to show the tangible, material aspect of things."—The Age
"Exposes some of the most powerful transformative currents and possibilities at play in the philosopher's reading of the Western tradition…THE ISTER'S thoughtfulness lies in its encounter of Heidegger's thought in awareness of the impossibility, the loss, and the concrete differences in which philosophical thinking finds its configurations. Wth their visually articulate commentary, Barison and Ross have made a unique contribution to the critical articulation of Heidegger's thinking, this in a time when images seldom engage thought and words often seem insufficient in their articulation of thought's movement in its loss and difference."—Alejandro A. Vallega, Director of the Collegium Phaenomenologicum and Author of 'Heidegger and the Issue of Space: Thinking on Exilic Grounds'
"A revelation! The best and most significant Australian feature of the year thus far… could well become a milestone in a new era of autonomy and creative freedom in the Australian cinematic landscape."—Senses of Cinema
"Possesses a visual beauty that's rare in the documentary field... An impressive cinematic tribute to the river from which it takes its name."—Tom Dawson, Channel 4 (UK)
"A stimulating three-hour journey in time, space and the mind."—Philip French, The Observer

Photographer and filmmaker Raymond Depardon is renowned for his documentation of the French countryside. In Modern Life he casts an affectionate and irreverent eye on a small community of farmers as they are confronted by the problems and challenges the contemporary world brings. Treated with equal suspicion, strangers and women are gradually accepted into the fabric of the farming life so as to sustain a way of life that celebrates the traditions and methods of old.

The Cévennes region in southern France is a region of hilly passes, lonely farms and lonelier farmers. There we are introduced to aged bachelor brothers Marcel and Raymond Privat, whose old-fashioned shepherding methods and primitive farming techniques lead them into contention with their younger nephew and his 'outsider' wife from Calais. Then there's dairy farmers Germaine and Marcel Challaye, who struggle to maintain their diminishing flock with no help from their numerous children, and chain-smoking solitary farmer Paul Argaud, the very epitome of disillusion and governmental disinheritance. Finally the Jeanroy family offer a bleak picture of those that stay against the odds, with their son Daniel, who would much rather be doing anything else.

Through portraits of these unforgettable people, Modern Life becomes a witness to farmers' lives, values, and stories: all that binds them to the land, and its legacy.

A QUEST FOR MEANING tells the story of Marc and Nathanael, two childhood friends who take an impromptu road trip attempting to uncover the causes of our current global crisis and to discover a way to bring about change.
The two friends invite us to share their quest as they meet with activists, biologists, philosophers, and custodians of ancient traditions. Equipped with nothing more than a tiny camera and a microphone they document some of the solutions that are laying the foundations for a sustainable world. This life-changing journey restores confidence in our ability to bring about change both within ourselves and in society.
Among the people they talk to are Vandana Shiva, Trinh Xuan Thuan, Satish Kumar, Pierre Rabhi, Herve Kempf, Bruce Lipton and Cassandra Vieten.

Two childhood friends take an impromptu road trip attempting to uncover the causes of our current global crisis and discover a way to bring about change.

'This exuberant film documents a journey undertaken by two young people who hope to map a path away from consumptive individualism and towards creative, joyous, life-affirming community. I can't wait to show this 'map' to inquisitive students searching for course change and for wise advice on how to create a future that is plausible, desirable, and achievable!' Joni Adamson, Director, Environmental Humanities Initiative, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University
'A Quest for Meaning reviews the blinding elements of progress and technology, but more importantly we learn how nature, food, dreams, love, and joy feeds the internal shift to deep freedom - a shift necessary for us to help make the world better. Learn as the filmmakers do to face our fears and pathetic agreements made with this increasingly robotic world. Learn to purify your mind and body - hopefully to vibrate at a higher level. Learn we are children of stardust. Learn the qualities of the heart. Change is indeed coming and this upbeat film will help you with some tools to transform.' Randy Hayes, Founder, Rainforest Action Network, Director, Foundation Earth
'A breath of fresh air and optimism that recharges the spirit and soothes the soul.' Ecoloinfo
'With passion and exuberance, the two protagonists weave a powerful message...In the process they, and we, discover that the ideas and beliefs of the scientists, activists, philosophers, Shamans and ordinary citizens they interview all point to the same necessity. The imperative is that we humans create a new relationship with both the natural world and with each other...This film is a wonderful introduction to the issues of food sovereignty, food justice and indigenous rights in the context of a new economic and environmental paradigm.' Polly Walker, MD, MPH, Senior Fellow, The Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
'This rollicking, coming-of-age travelogue captures those moments when we begin to see through the veil of modernist culture and recognize that other, more meaningful ways of living, feeling, and interacting with the wider web of life are possible. Quest for Meaning is the 'Let's Go' of environmental and spiritual awakening.' Paul Wapner, Professor of Global Environmental Politics, American University, Co-editor, Global Environmental Politics: From Person to Planet
'A marvelously encouraging and engaging film...As these young backpackers travel, they find deeper consciousness and spiritual unity with all Creation, in a new generation's innovative version of deep-rooted environmental sustainability traditions. The beautiful photography captures a striking series of rural and urban landscapes on four continents. A Quest for Meaning will powerfully engage discussions among students, faith communities and the wider public.' Dr. Richard Tucker, Adjunct Professor of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
'In this film, two young men as global citizens seek answers and possible solutions to a transition from unbridled consumerism. Their journey is engaging, as they travel the world and visit philosophers, spiritual leaders, environmental activists, and 'small is beautiful' operations...The journey should be an excellent stimulus to discussion.' Tyler Volk, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies, New York University, Author, Quarks to Culture: How We Came to Be
'There is no guilt, no preaching, no alarmism. It's a work of maturity.' Mediapart
'Timely...For students and community groups, A Quest for Meaning offers an abundance of philosophical and spiritual propositions...This film will have particular relevance for young people in search of meaning today.' Wynn Calder, Director of Sustainable Schools LLC, Co-Director of Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future