Doing Time, Doing Vipassana
| Doing Time, Doing Vipassana | |
|---|---|
 theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Produced by | Eilona Ariel |
| Starring | Kiran Bedi |
| Narrated by | Paul Samson |
| Music by |
|
| Cinematography | Ayelet Menahemi |
| Edited by | Ayelet Menahemi |
Production company |
Karuna Films |
| Distributed by |
Immediate Pictures (2005 theatrical) |
Release dates | 1997 |
Running time | 52 minutes |
| Country |
|
| Language | English |
Doing Time, Doing Vipassana is a 1997 Israeli independent documentary film project by two women filmmakers from Israel, Ayelet Menahemi and Eilona Ariel about the use of Vipassanaas taught by S. N. Goenka as a rehabilitation method and its impact on foreign and Indian prisoners[1] which was then known as one of the harshest prisons in the world.[2] The film inspired other correctional facilities such as the North Rehabilitation Facility in Seattle to use Vipassana as a means of rehabilitation.[3]
Cast
- Directors: Eilona Ariel and Ayelet Menahemi
- Kiran Bedi as herself, the Former Inspector General of Prisons for New Delhi
Recognition
Reception
The film received an average score of 64 based on eight critics at Metacritic.[4] It received a 71% rating based on 14 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.[5]
The San Francisco Chronicle wrote of the film winning the Golden Spire Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival when noting its 2005 theatrical release. They praised the film, writing it had "distinct virtues: It tells a fascinating story. It makes a strong case for an alternative approach to incarcerated criminals. And it provides an attractive introduction to Vipassana meditation." [6]
Slant Magazine gave the film two out of five stars, and generally panned the film, stating that the directors "fail to really get inside the heads of their subjects and to seriously convey the extent to which violence plays a role in their daily lives, choosing instead to follow the process with which Vipassana comes to the prison community and holds its prisoners in rapture." They felt the film's repeated use of "hyperbolic narration....strains to summon a sense of spiritual gravitas" and that the filmmakers brevity and informational tone made the film "something akin to an Epcot Center attraction." [7]
Awards and recognition
- 1998, winner of 'Golden Spire Award' at the San Francisco International Film Festival [6][8]
- 1998, winner of NCCD Pass Award from the American National Council on Crime and Delinquency[9]
- 2000, winner of 'Gold Illumination Award' at Crested Butte International Film Festival
- 2000, winner of 'Silver Award' for best documentary at Crested Butte Reel Fest
References
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (July 8, 2005). "Prisoners Finding New Hope in the Art of Spiritual Bliss". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ↑ King, Sallie B. (2009). Socially Engaged Buddhism. University of Hawaii Press. p. 152. ISBN 082483335X.
- ↑ Zook, Kristal Brent (2006). Black women's lives : stories of power and pain. New York: Nation Books. pp. 239–240. ISBN 1560257903.
- ↑ "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana". Metacritic. 5 July 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- ↑ "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
- 1 2 LaSalle, Mick (May 27, 2005). "Also opening Friday". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ↑ Gonzales, Ed (July 6, 2005). "review: Doing Time, Doing Vipassana". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- ↑ Its Always Possible: Transforming One of the Largest Prisons in the World. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2005. p. 307. ISBN 8120728866.
- ↑ staff (March 24, 1999). "Award-winning video to be presented". Juneau Empire. Retrieved September 29, 2013.