2016 Film Seminars at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA

Two wonderful seminars in 2016 at Esalen in Big Sur, CA with Brother David and Dr. Francis Lu. Registration is now open!

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Since 1990, film-viewing seminars led by Francis and Brother David have become an annual tradition at Esalen. These seminars include films carefully curated and sequenced shown on state-of-the-art home theatre equipment (including 4K Blu-ray video projection and ​9​ loudspeakers), handout syllabus on the films, and processing of the films through reflection and group interaction focused on the participant’s own experience of each film. Movies take on an exquisite cumulative power when shown over 7 days at Esalen in a group setting that is truly remarkable and unforgettable.

Registration is now open!

The Resilience of the Family in Film: Epics of Love, Loss, and Recovery
July 10-17, 2016

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
– Helen Keller

This seminar focuses on the role of the family in teaching us how resilience develops over a life course and across generations. Watching mindfully how families express love, endure loss and locate their own resilience helps all of us see how we may face life’s inevitable challenges. Included are epic films set within distinct cultural settings (11th c. Japan, 18th c. France, 19th c. New England, 19th c. Italy, 19th c. Wales, China/U.S., India, Ireland, and Sweden) directed by Ingmar Bergman, John Ford, D. W. Griffith, Kenji Mizoguchi, Satyajit Ray, Jean Renoir, Luchino Visconti and Wayne Wang.  Register and learn more here.

Through Compassion to Serenity in the Mindful Viewing of Japanese and Western Films
July 17-24, 2016

Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek. ― Dalai Lama XIV

This seminar aims at a mindfulness experience through viewing feature films in which inspiring characters embody positive psychological qualities (compassion, courage, forgiveness, gratefulness, wisdom, serenity) for the purpose of renewing these qualities in the lives of the seminar participants. Brought together for the first time at Esalen are 7 great Japanese films chosen for engendering mindfulness from a quarter century of annual Esalen film seminars in company with 7 Western films that complement them. The Japanese films are directed by Ichikawa, Kinoshita, Kurosawa (3), Ozu, and Takita. The Western films are directed by Bergman, Chaplin, Dörrie, Kubrick, M. Jackson, McCarey, and Malick.  Register and learn more here.

The seminars are in the review process for CE units for PSYs, LCSWs, nurses, and MFTs. For information about past seminars, search above for “films.” Registration will begin January 2016 at www.esalen.org.