Movies that are both visually and mentally meditative, contemplative, and visually stimulating.

PERFECT DAYS

Hirayama is content with his simple life cleaning toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Unexpected encounters reveal more of his story in a deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the world around us.

A Film by Wim Wenders

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What I Found Mindful: The movie has more silence than dialogue as we observe the main character, watching him and seeing the world through his eyes. From rituals of reading at night and watering his plants in the morning, to looking at the ski first thing in the morning and the trees while eating the same sandwich each day. Music plays an important role in the movie and the life journey.

DOWN WITH THE KING

Rap star Money Merc (Freddie Gibbs) has been sent by his manager, Paul, to a rural house in the Berkshires to focus on his next album. Disenchanted with his music career and the 24/7 upkeep that such fame entails, Merc has no desire to write or record music. Instead, he spends most of his time at his neighbor’s farm learning about farming and enjoying the simplicity of country life. After Merc abruptly announces his retirement on Twitter, Paul rushes to the countryside to lure him back into the music industry.

A Film by Diego Ongaro

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MANTRA: Sound into Silence

A feature-length documentary that, through the eyes—and ears—of its protagonists, explores the new music and social phenomenon of chanting. This is a film about ordinary people who find healing and a sense of inner peace by singing mantras together, sometimes with only a few others and sometimes with thousands of others, just like them. It’s also a film about the artists and musicians at the center of this new music movement. It’s a film about spirituality, not religion; it’s about people reconnecting with their true selves and finding meaning in their lives. Featuring: Deva Premal & Miten, Manose, Krishna Das, Snatam Kaur, Jai Uttal, MC Yogi, Lama Gyurme, Stephan Rechtschaffen, C.C. White, Dave Stringer, Mirabai Ceiba, Anand Semalty, Guara Vani, Nina Rao, and more.

A Film by Georgia Wyss and Wari Om

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A STILL SMALL VOICE

A Still Small Voice follows Mati, a chaplain completing a year-long hospital residency, as she learns to provide spiritual care to people confronting profound life changes. Through Mati’s experiences with her patients, her struggle with professional burnout, and her own spiritual questioning, we gain new perspectives on the meaning of connection and the pain of its absence.

A Film by Luke Lorentzen

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