vernon film society
Bringing the best in world and Canadian film to film lovers of Vernon and the North Okanagan
FIERCE LIGHT: WHEN SPIRIT MEETS ACTION
Director: Velcrow Ripper
With: Darryl Hannah, Desmond Tutu
Run Time: 90 minutes
Country: Canada
Year: 2009
Language: English
Rating:
In 2004, Velcrow Ripper’s ScaredSacred premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival®, where it earned a special jury citation. It continued on to take the Genie Award for best documentary and win favour with audiences everywhere it played (which would include almost every Film Circuit community!). Ripper began working on his next film almost immediately after ScaredSacred: his eagerly anticipated follow-up is Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action.
Building on ScaredSacred, which examined the nature of spirituality in its many global manifestations, Fierce Light explores the similar terrain of spiritual activism. Employing a travelogue structure, Ripper and his cameras traverse various countries, seeking those spots where peace-minded people are trying to make a difference using spirituality as a source of inspiration. To protest the destruction of an inner-city farm in central Los Angeles, for example, actress Daryl Hannah spends some of her year in 2006 sitting in a tree; Ripper returns to her several times with a sense of discovery, and each time her motivations become more poignant and clear.
Many others make memorable appearances in the film, from activist Buddhists to Vietnamese monks and culture jammers, as well as those protesting the discrimination against India’s “Untouchables.” Around the world, travesties are occurring that are effectively destroying our planet and its inhabitants; however, as Ripper so effectively demonstrates, a number of committed people are trying to turn these forces around by changing the way we think and feel about our world – and more importantly, how we choose to act during our time here. This film will inspire reflection and discussion long after the credits roll.
“The material is intriguing and affecting.” – Jason Anderson, Eye Weekly
Reviews: www.fiercelight.org/fiercelight.org/press
Official Site: www.fiercelight.org