Movie Night "The Dhamma Brothers"

Unitarian Universalist Congregation In Andover, 6 Locke St, Andover, MA | Get Directions »
FREE

UUCiA Movie Night;  Award winning documentary, The Dhamma Brothers6 Locke St.Friday Feb 22, 7 PM, movie 76 minutes long Free-Bring a friend, beach chair to sit on, and something to drink. We will providethe movie and popcorn.
The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic story of human potential and transformation as it closely follows and documents the stories of a group of prisoners as they enter into this arduous program. It will challenge assumptions about the very nature of prisons as places of punishment rather than rehabilitation. Despite the difficulty in obtaining permission to film inside a prison, the Alabama Department of Corrections allowed a film crew to document, not only the Vipassana program, but many other scenes and settings revealing the daily lives of prisoners and staff. Before the Vipassana retreat, the men openly express fear and trepidation, wondering what they will find when they look deeply within and face the consequences of past actions and trauma. They are shown packing their scant belongings and preparing for the journey inside, a very short walk down the prison corridor but a sea change in their lives as prisoners. We observe the transformation of the prison gym, a frequent site for violent battles among inmates, into a monastery, a separate, restricted place in which the inmate students can eat, sleep, and meditate in total seclusion from the rest of prison society.