Documentary on Kumbh Mela at Portland
sahuman
premieres in Portland at The Hollywood Theatre on Friday October 22,
is part of a rapidly growing trend of responsible filmmaking which has
emerged in reaction to the increasing commercialism of Hollywood and
widespread homogenization of entertainment. And audiences are showing
their support and desire for such substantive entertainment with
unprecedented attendance at such independent films.
In 2001, an estimated 70 million people convened in India for the
largest gathering in the history of humanity, yet few Westerners had
ever heard of it. Filmmakers Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day traveled to
India to capture the profound and historical event and share the
experience with the world.
The film documents the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the most ancient of
Hindu festivals, which occurs once every 144 years in Allahabad,
India. The documentary, which includes encounters with several leading
spiritual masters, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was hailed
by Film Threat as, "a beautifully crafted documentary... and
constantly absorbing glimpse into a unique corner of the human
experience."
More than a simple account of the Kumbh Mela, this film is a sensory
experience of an ancient, grand occasion, a swirl of color and motion,
song and cacophony, the sacred and the surreal耀piritual India exactly
as anyone would hope to find it. And from this unique event comes a
powerful and uplifting message of peace and tolerance for all
humanity.
"Sometimes I think we only start to truly learn about our own culture
when we leave it behind and begin to experience others," reflects
co-director/co-producer Nick Day. "So my intention is that American
audiences who may not have had much contact with other people from
other cultures will find something in the film that helps them reflect
on their own lives while uplifting them and giving them hope for the
future of humanity as a whole. Here are spiritual leaders from another
culture far away, from another religious tradition... calling for
peace, harmony, unity and love for all humanity.... Now we are trying
to bring the essence of that experience to other people through this
film."
Benazzo agrees, " 全hortcut to Nirvana' is part of a new movement of
spiritual filmmaking. More and more people are becoming fed up with
the formula entertainment that Hollywood has to offer, and are asking
for something different. There is an increasing segment of the
population calling for films that are entertaining, uplifting and
positive, movies that can inspire us to make this planet a better
place. When movies like this appear, take 糎hat the Bleep Do We Know?'
for example, an unexpected number of people respond to them with
appreciation, making it apparent that there is a need for more
intelligent entertainment."
Both of the film's directors, Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day, will be
in Portland to present the film at the Hollywood Theatre and answer
questions after selected screenings.
There will also be a tie-in exhibition of photographs from the Kumbh
Mela by Nick Day in the lobby of the Hollywood Theatre. Proceeds from
the sale of the photographs will be given to two non-profit
organizations, the Oregon Film & Video Foundation (which operates The
Hollywood Theatre), and HealthShare International, an organization (of
which Day is vice president and Benazzo president) dedicated to
improving healthcare and quality of life for the people living in the
most under-served areas of the world.
For more information on the film "Short Cut to Nirvana: Kumbh Mela"
please visit www.melafilms.com