Catholics have growing access to good Catholic films, and there are also sources for good family films.
But what about thought-provoking films for adults that help us to think about life and all of its many dimensions? Enter Spiritual Cinema Circle.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Spiritual Cinema Circle is a membership program that delivers 4 curated uplifting and inspiring independent films to your door every month.
This subscription program sends out a DVD every month. Each DVD has three shorter films and one feature. And these aren’t the same films you’ll find on Netflix, either. They’re the independent films that never make it in the entertainment industry.
Part of the beauty of Spiritual Cinema Circle is that you never know what you are going to get. My uncertainty quickly melted into delight at these new discoveries. And that is part of the beauty. Want to watch your own curated set of independent films every month?
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At $21 a month, The Spiritual Cinema Circle is a hefty risk as it’s the DVD equivalent of receiving your favorite magazine every month. It may be a good issue or bad issue, but it’s still an issue and in fact, new two-disc sets are shipped every month, with the intent of provoking discussion about spirituality in all its forms, which co-founder Stephen Simon clearly supports in his introductions to the short films and “Ayurveda” documentary in volume five.
A Look at Featured Films
The first short film in this selection was The Listing Agent. Darkly comedic, it takes a look at a man who is desperately trying to make a living as a real estate agent. The story of a real estate agent trying desperately trying to unload a property in the face of unpaid bills and high expectations. His role is well-played and you really feel for him as he goes the extra mile to sell this house.
If you are a filmmaker or visual effects artist, you will love the energetic, stylized story in Jonah. It’s as thought provoking as it is visually stunning, and it draws you into the action from the very first shot. This was a surreal story of a young man who finds instant fame when a photo is taken of him with a giant fish jumping out of the water behind him. The fame brought to him and to his town fulfills his dreams, but damages his relationship with his friend. Jonah was nominated for an award at Sundance.
The third short, Cave Digger, is a documentary about a man who creates spiritual sanctuaries carved out of mountainsides, using only hand tools. Hand tools! This is a documentary about a man who found his artistic expression by digging cathedral-like caves into the soft sandstone cliffs of New Mexico using nothing but hand tools. He creates beautiful works of art. But this film isn’t just about his art, it’s also about the human factor. It shows how his work affects his relationship with his friends, his wife and his patrons. This film was nominated or an Academy Award.
The feature film in this selection is Cliffy, an amazing - and true - story of a potato farmer who, at 61, set out to run a 500-mile mega-marathon against runners half his age. The true story of a 60-year-old potato farmer who enters a 500-mile ultra-marathon from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia. Cliffy is a gentle, simple man. When he tells people that he wants to enter the marathon, everyone thinks he’s crazy. But Cliffy has been running for a long time. He’s not a seasoned athlete. He just runs everywhere he goes. And he’s determined to win.
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Seemingly unrelated, all of these films, each with its own unique perspective, deal with our relationship with money, and examine the cost of our choices about the paths we follow. But you wouldn’t know that going in. And another unexpected joy was the discussion breaks in between the films. And it pays off.
The Circle is not pushy and doesn’t force viewers to seriously consider an agenda set forth by any of the movies. Simon gently suggests a certain thought to consider, such as in the restless “Right Here, Right Now” where he pegs the theme as Karma, and what it does as we encounter many people during the day.
“A Mile in My Shoes” is next, set during the Depression, and filmed in the hills of California, where a run-down shack and abandoned 1930s car serve as the respective homes for Elizabeth (Janelle Ginestra) and her mother, and Benjamin (Markhum Salisbury, Jr.) a black man from Tennessee who’d rather forget where he came from, presumably because of the poverty that swept the nation and drove him toward California.
“Flip Flotsam” is my favorite short of the set, because of the whimsical journey flip flops take from their creation in Mombasa, near Kenya, to Lamu where they are worn by everyone and discarded when they are worn out, to the island of Kiwayu where they wash up and are actually recycled in a unique way.
The feature of these discs is a documentary, “Ayurveda: Art of Being” which will most definitely provoke discussion on what medicine can do, whether it’s only the doctors of big cities and prominent countries who can do the most good for the world.
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What I really enjoyed about the DVD was that in between each film host Stephen Simon and a guest talk about what they got out of it. This makes the entire DVD experience thoughtful and enriching.
Spiritual Cinema Circle October 2017 Preview
Stephen Simon and the Spiritual Cinema Circle
Last week I flew out to Boulder Colorado to be filmed for the Spiritual Cinema Circle movie review discussion with Stephen Simon and Janet Grillo. This was my first time ever on camera. So, I was a little anxious. Spiritual Cinema Circle paid for my airfare, hotel, food, and even provided me with a limo driver to pick me up at the airport, hotel and take me back to the airport.
Thursday morning, I arrived at their studio at Gaiam unsure what to expect. I was able to meet all of the great people and staff who make Spiritual Cinema Circle work so well and even took a tour of Gaiam (Thank you Suzanna and Jessica!). Then, Stephen Simon walked in the studio and I started to feel kind of nervous.
Stephen Simon is an Academy Award winning producer, one of my favorite filmmakers and someone who I have always admired. I remember watching his movie, What Dreams May Come, a few years ago and being very inspired by it. So, it was a bit surreal for me to actually meet Stephen in person.
After getting ready to be on camera, I was getting more excited for the actual movie discussion which would be filmed and distributed to all of the members of the Spiritual Cinema Circle.
Stephen, Janet and I chatted about 4 films for an upcoming volume of the Spiritual Cinema Circle. I especially enjoyed discussing Janet’s film Fly Away, which is about a single mother raising her autistic daughter.
Fly Away is the type of movie that makes Spiritual Cinema Circle so special.
The Spiritual Cinema Circle Community
Here in Denver, half a dozen spiritual seekers meet monthly to watch the films and ponder the discussion questions Simon appends to each DVD.
Simon’s subscribers also come from China, Croatia, South Africa and dozens of other nations. His primary audience, however, is from the 24% of Americans who described themselves in a Newsweek poll last summer as “spiritual but not religious.”
Simon and his acquisitions director, Anna Darrah, scour film festivals for works that might provoke introspection and inspire insight. Filmmakers receive as little as $500 for a one-month licensing agreement -- yet they swamp Darrah with submissions.
When his short film was sent out on a club DVD, first-time director Geno Andrews heard praise from viewers worldwide. Some even asked if they could use “Jillian’s Vantage” -- about a blind woman’s blind date -- to teach tolerance. “It’s been encouraging as an artist,” Andrews said.
Supporting artists who make films without violence, sex and foul language was a top priority for Washburne when she founded the Denver club.
A regular at the Denver group, Robb said she had tried watching some of the spiritual movies at home but had fallen asleep. Watching with a group, she said, was teaching her patience and concentration. “I’m in a different head space when I’m here,” she said. “I can watch movies like this now! Next is poetry.”
A Note for Catholic Viewers
The only unfortunate part of the DVD was the bonus segment at the end, which was a Buddhist-based New Age show from Gaiam TV. Just a reminder that Spiritual Circle Cinema is not a Catholic - or even Christian - endeavor.
The Catholic viewer should also be aware that there is some swearing and sexual allusion in these films, though neither is overwhelming.
Spiritual Circle Cinema is a great option for Catholics seeking thoughtful, uplifting films.