Eastern Teachings & Thought
Feminism: Herstory, Archaeology & Spirituality
Judaism, Islam & Christianity
Peace & Reconciliation
Science & Religion
Sexuality & Spirituality
 

Eastern Teachings & Thought

Hippie Masala

Hippie Masala is a fascinating chronicle about aging flower children who, after fleeing Western civilization, found a new way of life in India.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Living Goddess

Living Goddess is a journey into the small Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, rooted in religious and political tradition facing the challenges of modernization and political reform. The film juxtaposes the call for political reform on the street against intimate footage of a pre pubescent living goddess, Sajani. Venerated as a living incarnation of the divine, she is also a precocious and charming eleven year old who goes to school, plays hide and seek, and collapses in giggles in front of the camera when not presiding over religious ceremonies full of pomp and circumstance. The film is a powerful portrait of a young girl venerated as a goddess growing up in a country on the verge of civil war.
 
Mystical Brain

Is it possible to shed light on the states of grace experienced by mystics and meditators? Mystical Brain shows us the most recent discoveries of scientific research on this phenomenon in North America and abroad. It seems that mystical ecstasy is a profoundly transformative experience. It could contribute to people’s psychic and bodily health, treat depression and speed up the healing process in patients who combine meditation with conventional medicine. A guided tour of the depths of the human spirit, Mystical Brain is a fascinating documentary that breaks new ground on the intersection of science and spirituality.
 

Secrets of the Occult

Secrets of the Occult explores the world of the occult from the ancient and modern magicians who practice it to the cutting edge scientists attempting to explain its mysterious claims. This program highlights the advances that have been achieved by innovators who challenged established reality like Newton, Galileo, Jung and Einstein.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Secrets of the Soul

Secrets of the Soul takes an all encompassing look at the universal belief in the soul. From the older tradition of the Native American Vision Quest to mediums who claim to be able to communicate with the dead, this two-hour special explores the beliefs and rituals of the faithful as well as the latest scientific research that investigates the soul’s very existence. Featuring interviews with Reza Aslan, Michael Shermer and Stuart Hameroff.
 
 
 
 
 
Through the Eastern Gate

Through the Eastern Gate documents the spiritual paths of three young Westerners who have embraced Eastern traditions: Sister Yeshe Chodron’s journey led her from Australia to life as a Buddhist nun in a Himalayan convent; Ronela Vainio immerses herself in tantric yoga; Aziz Abbatiello lives as a Sufi dervish in Turkey, where he prays, sings, and spins himself into spiritual ecstasy. This intimate and compelling film delves into the personal practices and challenges of three people who have turned their backs on Western traditions. Features interviews with Venerable Tenzin Palmo, His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin, Sherif Baba, Sheikh Sherif Baba Efendi, Swami Vivekananda Saraswati.
 
 
Tibetan Book of the Dead

Narrated by Leonard Cohen, this two-part series explores ancient teachings on death and dying and boldly visualizes the afterlife according to Tibetan philosophy. A Way of Life documents the book’s acceptance and use in Europe and North America. Included is remarkable footage of the rites and liturgies surrounding and following the death of a Ladakhi elder as well as the views of the Dalai Lama on life and death. The Great Liberation observes an old Buddhist lama and a 13-year-old novice monk as they guide a deceased person into the afterlife. The passage of the soul is visualized with animation blended into actual location shooting. An additional short documentary, The Trap, explores Buddhist concepts of mutual respect, tolerance and cycles in the daily life of a North Atlantic fishing village.
 

Feminism: Herstory, Archaeology & Spirituality

Secrets of Mary Magdalene

Based on Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer’s nonfiction work, the documentary Secrets of Mary Magdalene reveals the untold story of how her image has been continuously reimagined throughout history. A sinner and prostitute, or the secret wife of Jesus and original leader of his church? Featuring interviews with Elaine Pagels and Susan Haskins among other notable scholars, Secrets of Mary Magdalene strips away the veils of history to reveal the flesh and blood of the woman who served as Jesus’ foremost apostle and possibly the love of his life.
 
 
 
Signs Out of Time

Signs Out of Time weaves together interviews, archival footage, photographs, and narration to portray the scope of archaeologist Marija Gimbutas’s life and work. Using animation, artifacts, archival interview footage of Marija, comments from her supporters and critics, this biographical documentary explores her ground-breaking studies, excavations and publications, the depth and breadth of her scholarship, and the controversy around her theories concerning matriarchies and herstory.
 
 
 
 
Women and Spirituality

Women and Spirituality is Donna Read’s definitive series that explores the power of the sacred feminine in mythological, historical and cultural contexts. This trilogy investigates the relationship between women and spirituality from ancient times to the present and includes interviews with Starhawk, Merlin Stone, Carol Christ and other pioneering members of the goddess movement.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Judaism, Islam & Christianity

Art of Faith

This three-part series explores the art and architecture of the world’s three monotheistic religions. From the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem to the madrassas of Samerkand; from the earliest synagogues on the mountain fort of Masada to Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Beth Sholom near Philadelphia; to Saint Catherine’s monastery to Chartres and Henri Matisse’s chapel in Vence, France; the architecture and art of each building is brought alive through the eyes of a religious guide. Viewers gain a deeper understanding of the three Abrahamic faith traditions as well as the history and art of these buildings and their importance as places of lived faith.
 
 
 

Peace & Reconciliation

Forgiveness

In a world wracked by increasing violence and horror, Forgiveness: Stories for Our Time brings hope that there are other possibilities beyond blind revenge, no matter how violent the cirme - and that in forgiving others we can set ourselves free. This program is an excellent resource for grief counseling groups, psychology courses and religion.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Science & Religion

The Atheism Tapes

In this ground-breaking BBC series, Jonathan Miller interviews biologist and New York Times best-selling author Richard Dawkins, philosophers Daniel Dennett and Colin McGinn, distinguished playwright Arthur Miller, theologian Denys Turner and Nobel Prize winning physicist Steven Weinberg about their personal intellectual journeys to non-theism. The interviews explore questions from, “Can science answer all questions?” to the influence of anti Semitism in America. The Atheism Tapes is an invaluable teaching resource that presents a wide range of perspectives, from science to literature to theology, on one of today’s most controversial topics. This series will challenge students and provoke discussion.
 
Cosmos

Cosmos is the story of our long journey of discovery and the forces and individuals who helped to shape modern science, including Democritus, Hypatia, Kepler, Newton, Huygens, Champollion, Lowell and Humason. Sagan looks at our planet from an extraterrestrial vantage point and sees a blue jewel-like world, inhabited by a lifeform that is just beginning to discover its own unity and to venture into the vast ocean of space. The late Dr. Sagan’s multi Emmy and Peabody Award winning series goes beyond a guided tour through billions of stars and galaxies. Cosmos remains one of the most profound statements in exploration, crossing boundaries between science and religion.
 
 

Sexuality & Spirituality

Pornography: The Secret History of Civilisation

Fenton Bailey’s Pornography: The Secret History of Civilisation offers a comprehensive, detailed examination of the origins and transformations of adult media. This six-part series contains commentary from a multitude of sources, including art historians, social critics, authors, collectors, and adult stars themselves. The film tastefully tackles the taboo subject by focusing on pornography’s implications of human nature, the impact of technological advances and social evolution.
 
 
 
 
 
Sacred Love-Making

Best-selling author and sex expert Karinna Kittles-Karsten introduces ancient Taoist love secrets and rituals for achieving deep sexual satisfaction and emotional connectedness in the tastefully presented instructional DVD. Known as “The Love Educator,” Karinna illustrates ancient techniques to achieve greater sexual pleasure, suggests rituals that emphasize intimacy and offers tips on how to cultivate spontaneity and emotional openness with your partner.
 
 
 
 
 
The Workshop

In a wooded glade somewhere near San Francisco, The Workshop challenges the rules of modern society by pushing all boundaries of normal convention - especially the sexual ones! A group of people agree to take part in a 10-day ‘workshop’ led by spiritual leader Paul Lowe in their search for a higher personal truth. On day one they are told to introduce themselves and meet everyone else - completely naked! Searing emotional honesty, full nudity, experiments and sexuality and the exorcising of inner demons are the hallmarks of this groundbreaking and provocative documentary.