Merton: A Film Biography (1984)
Overview
In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.
Production Companies
Additional Info
| Budget | $0.00 |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $0.00 |
| Original Language | en |
| Popularity | 0.888 |
Directed By
Paul Wilkes
Crew
Paul Wilkes
Zina Voynow
Barbara Zahm
Audrey Laurine Glynn
Mary Sweeney
David Eubank
Paul Wilkes
Zina Voynow
Paul Wilkes
Tom Hurwitz
Kristina Borjesson
Frederick Iannone
Kristina Borjesson
Gary Becker
Lee Dichter
Gary Gasgarth
TOP CAST
Alexander Scourby
Narrator (voice)
Gregory Abels
Thomas Merton (voice)
John Barber
Self
Jim Forest
Self - Int. Fellowship of Reconciliation
Robert Lax
Self
John Eudes Bamberger
Self - Scholastic under Merton
Flavian Burns
Self - Scholastic under Merton
Robert Giroux
Self - Publisher
Naomi Burton Stone
Self
James Laughlin
Self - Publisher, New Directions
Jean Jadot
Self - Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians
Ernesto Cardenal
Self - Nicaraguan Minister of Culture; Novice under Merton
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Self - Poet
W. H. Ferry
Self
Mary Luke Tobin
Self
Joan Baez
Self
Maurice Flood
Self - Monk of Gethsemani
Thích Nhất Hạnh
Self - Buddhist Monk
Rembert Weakland
Self - Benedictine Monk
Jean Leclercq
Self - Benedictine Monk
Tenzin Gyatso
Self - The Dalai Lama
Similar Movies
Top Ten Monks
The Cistercian monks of Austria are holy men who rise at 4:30 a.m., pray for more than four hours a day and have devoted their lives to God. They're also pop stars. This documentary offers a glimpse at the daily life of the joyous monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey whose recordings of their ethereal Gregorian chants have turned them into chart-topping music sensations.
Change Itself – An Art Apart: Genesis Breyer P-Orridge
To sum up the life and work of British artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge is close to impossible. Not only because of the wide range of artistic disciplines, but also because of the timespan, since the mid 1960s to the present day, that has been saturated by hundreds of records, thousands of concerts, exhibitions, interviews, videos, spoken word performances, collages, sculptures, philosophy, cultural engineering, occultism and radical transgender concepts. A couple of descriptions are still valid after these 50 years of active creativity and provocation. P-Orridge is a romantic existentialist and a cultural engineer. Everything is both work as such and seed for cultural and behavioural change.
Create or Die
In an industry that is becoming increasingly competitive, what drives indie filmmakers to keep creating their art, even when there is no promise of money or fame? CREATE OR DIE explores the insatiable passion to create despite the overwhelming odds through the lens of South Carolina writer and filmmaker David Axe, as he and his band of cast and crew head out into the backwoods of Georgia to shoot his low budget passion project ACORN. But when tragedy strikes on set, doubt and tension threaten to bring an end to their production and their dreams.
The First Motion of the Immovable
It all begins with a childhood memory: that day when the father of the future filmmaker Sebastiano d'Ayala Valva forces him to listen to certain music that initially terrifies him; a distant echo from the past that leads him to follow the trail of his mysterious ancestor, the Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988), who claimed that his music was directly inspired by the gods.
Amongst universally grey cats
Documentary film on the critically acclaimed novel El traductor by Salvador Benesdra, a journalist in midst of crisis in the mid 90s. Unable to publish his work, he kills himself.
10 Questions for the Dalai Lama
How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet.
Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End
Narrated by Linda Hunt, this documentary examines the life of the late author and gay rights activist Paul Monette. Born in 1945 to a well-off Massachusetts family, Monette grows up unable to accept his homosexuality, for years hiding it from his loved ones while struggling to develop as a writer. In 1978, Monette publishes his first novel, which allows him to come out to his parents. After losing one lover to AIDS in 1986, he becomes a ferocious advocate for awareness of the disease.
Vision Portraits
Filmmaker Rodney Evans embarks on a scientific and artistic journey, questioning how his loss of vision might impact his creative future. Through illuminating portraits of three artists: a photographer (John Dugdale), a dancer (Kayla Hamilton), and a writer (Ryan Knighton), the film looks at the ways each artist was affected by the loss of their vision and the ways in which their creative process has changed or adapted.
Mary's Land
A figure skater seeks wisdom from a local sage to cure her diabetes.
Wechselspiel – Wenn Peter Stamm schreibt
Two documentary filmmakers become the plaything of writer Peter Stamm and subject of the novel whose creation they actually wanted to document.
Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius
Docudrama that recounts the astonishing life story of a forgotten genius, English poet Alexander Pope, who lived from 1688 to 1744.
Le Tibet face à la Chine, le dernier souffle ?
As the crucial question arises of the future succession of the Dalai Lama, we take a look back at the tormented history of the "Land of Snows" which lives under Chinese domination and which remains a geopolitical issue of the first order. A valuable documentary that gives voice to a people that China is trying to permanently silence.
Francesco
Francesco takes an unsparing look at the most pressing challenges of the 21st-century, asking deep questions about the human condition. The film is guided by Pope Francis who, with tremendous humility, wisdom, and generosity, offers moving lessons from his life that illuminate what it will take to build a better future. In doing so, he addresses issues such as climate change, immigration, peace and religious tolerance, LGBTQ support, gender and identity justice, and economic equality.
Clive Barker: The Man Behind the Myth
Short interview with Clive Barker about Midnight Meat Train, his artistic process, and his paintings. Includes a tour of his painting studio.
Even Today He’d Speak His Mind
Documentary about the German poet Erich Weinert.
La vida perra
An insight look into the curious life of the spanish novelist Ángel Vázquez with the city of Tangier in the background, as a second character portrayed.
Autography
A documentary that portrays not only the poet and painter Mario Cesariny but as well his life, his journey and his individuality.