Discovering the Beauty of Color/Music/Dance Through the Mindful Viewing of Film

Through mindful viewing of four classic motion pictures filled with color/music/dance, participants will open their hearts to profound cinematic beauty. This seminar offers an enhanced mindfulness experience through films directed by Jacques Demy, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger filled with cinematic beauty involving color/music/dance. These films are presented for the purpose of evoking similar discoveries in the lives of the workshop participants.

This workshop employs methods developed over the course of 28 film seminars at Esalen, co-led by Francis Lu and Brother David Steindl-Rast, including mindful film viewing, contemplative reflection, and group interaction focused on the participants’ unique experiences. In the words of Joseph Campbell, “the images of myths are reflections of the spiritual and depth potentialities of every one of us….Through contemplating those, we evoke their powers in our own lives to operate through ourselves.” The viewing experience is supported by 4K Blu-ray projection on a large screen and surround sound delivered by six loudspeakers.

Recommended Reading: Beauty: The Invisible Embrace by John O’ Donohue