Dear All:
A really uplifting new documentary, “I AM”, has just hit theaters featuring my dear friend, Marc Barasch. This film, based in significant part on Marc's insights into empathy, altruism and social healing from his seminal book, Field Notes on the Compassionate Life is taking off. A previous DVD by Marc, The Compassionate Life: Walking the Path of Kindness, is available online.
It made the top ten list of indie films this week and last, after a successful launch on the coasts. It will also be shown at the Conference on World Affairs in Boulder next month.
Tom Shadyac, Jim Carey director and the film¹s creator, has been touring with the film, as noted in indieWIREŒs profile of the film's strategy earlier this week. The film takes on Washington next weekend followed by Boston before expanding to other markets.
Along with Marc's truly inspiring segments, it features Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, David Suzuki, Lynn McTaggert, Ray Anderson and other luminaries. The “through-line” of this entertaining documentary is
Shadayac personal journey, following a serious accident, to discover “what's wrong with the world and what we can do about it” — a quest which he has said was triggered, in part, by Marc's own literary and life pilgrimage.
Here are some links that might be of interest:
* a review of the film in the Huffington Post
* YouTube film trailer about universal connection being “the emerging story.”
* a podcast (audio) of Tom and Marc on Terrence McNally's show on KPFK in L.A
I'm delighted to see that Marc's innovative ideas and compassionate activities are gaining wider visibility and having a greater impact. Please spread the word if you're so inclined!
Mahalo,
John
P.S. Marc, as some of you know, has also founded the Green World Campaign in order to practice “green compassion”. It is now planting trees and regenerating degraded land and poor communities in six countries, and is about to be displayed on screens in Times Square on Earth Day.
