Coming Soon to a Theater Near Me

A couple of e-mails came through a while ago about a new film and accompanying book called The Dhamma Brothers. If you check out the website, you'll find the following synopsis:

The Dhamma Brothers documents the extraordinary convergence of an overcrowded, understaffed maximum-security prison -- considered the end of the line in the Alabama correctional system -- and an ancient meditation program. East meets West in the Deep South.

Donaldson Correctional Facility is situated in the Alabama countryside southwest of Birmingham. 1,500 men, considered the state's most dangerous criminals, live behind high security towers and a double row of barbed and electrical wire fences.

Yet within this dark environment, a spark was ignited. A growing network of men was gathering to meditate on a regular basis. Intrigued by this, Jenny Phillips, cultural anthropologist and psychotherapist, first visited Donaldson Correctional Facility in the fall of 1999. She planned to observe the meditation classes facilitated by inmates and to interview the inmate meditators about their lives as prisoners.

As she met with the men, one by one in the privacy of an office, she was drawn in by their openness and willingness to talk freely about themselves. High levels of apprehension, distraction and danger characterize their lives as prisoners. Even though many of these men will never be released from prison, they were thirsty for meaningful social and emotional change. What she heard there was difficult to forget. It left her wondering if it were possible to live with a sense of inner peace and freedom within the harsh, violent prison environment.

Currently, there are screenings scheduled in New England, Washington State, Illinois, Oregon and Ohio. The following two could potentially work for those of us who live in metro Detroit (if we can stomach the cost of the gas to get there):

• Chicago:
  June 14 & 17
  THE GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER
  164 No. State St.
  Chicago, IL 60601
  (312) 846-2600

• Cleveland
  August 2
  THE CLEVELAND CINEMATHEQUE
  11141 East Blvd
  Cleveland, OH 44106
  (216) 421-7450

I'm seriously considering the trek to Cleveland in August... might make a weekend of it and take Ksanti to see the Rock hall.

Where Are We With HIV/AIDS?

There used to be a time when you couldn't turn on the television without hearing about it. I'm talking about HIV and AIDS. First, it was a quiet disease attacking (or so it seemed) a specific community... the community of gay men. As the disease reached out to more "mainstream" audiences, everyone started to get very concerned. AIDS became very real for our country when people who weren't "supposed" to get it started getting it. For a while, it was front page news. Everybody was talking about it. Everybody was concerned about research and development. What new superdrugs were being developed to attack what seemed un-attackable?

It spilled over from hospitals, clinics, hospices and research labs into theaters, exhibits, poems, and music. It hit popular culture square in the head and it didn't stop there. Prevention seemed a primary concern. Education about HIV/AIDS and how not to get it became paramount. Kids in schools across the country sniggered and elbowed each other as their red-faced teachers talked about safe sex. Some parents were outraged. Others were relieved.

Yesterday I saw an afternoon matinee of RENT with a group of girlfriends. I never had an opportunity to see it on stage, so I was really looking forward to it. I admit it, I like musicals. But I really didn't know what it was all about. I didn't know the storyline. A few weeks before the premiere, I started to get curious. I read a brief history on Wikipedia, and understood its ties to La Boheme. I listened to them talk about the upcoming movie on Mitch Albom, and I think (sorry Mitch if I'm misquoting or misrepresenting you) I remember Mitch saying something about Rent being yesterday's news... suggesting that it's heyday had passed.

As I sat in the theater, I thought that nothing could be further from the truth. I think we really need RENT today. We need to be reminded that there is still an AIDS epidemic. We need to be reminded that there are still human beings whose lives are touched then forever altered by this disease. We still need to work on removing the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. There is still such a distinction between how we treat people with cancer and how we treat people with AIDS. There is still too much judgment, too little compassion. We need to be reminded that no matter what we are up against, we still need to love, to connect, to have a little help from our friends.

I loved the characters in this story. I think I loved Angel the most because she was glam, fun, happy compassionate, giving and downright lovable despite everything she was going through. I loved her relationship with Collins. I also loved Collins because he was played by Jesse L. Martin who I have had a serious crush on since he played Dr. Greg on Ally McBeal. I loved that the gay and lesbian people in this movie got to be gay and lesbian people... characters with depth and dimension, not the stereotypical caricatures we often see.

I need to ask a question. Is it just me, or are we less concerned about HIV/AIDS today than we were 10 or 20 years ago? Is it just me, or has this issue quietly receeded into the background? There is still plenty of room for concern. What it feels like to me is that there is a lack of engagement with the issue, and that lack of engagement is hurting people.

I used to be pretty active with an HIV/AIDS prevention program in Detroit. Seeing RENT reminds me that there is still work to do for those who will do it.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

I watched an amazing film this afternoon called Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. This Korean film with English subtitles has many themes... coming of age, rites of passage, working through lust and craving, working through anger, working with a teacher, becoming a teacher, suffering, its end. I'm not going to spoil it for you if you want to see it... but I highly recommend it.