scared sacred

i went last night to see a new film by velcrow ripper (someone i have had an acquaintanceship for long enough to remember when he started making this film). scared sacred is the product of five years of velcrow’s life, during which he travelled to the ground zeros of the world searching for the profound inside of the profane, on a simultaneously external and internal quest. during the journey, the viewer is taken to bhopal, kabul, hiroshima, an afghani refugee camp in pakistan, new york city (site of the wtc bombings), cambodia, israel/palestine, and bosnia to experience visually both the devastation and the often inspiring personal stories of resistance, of courage, of spirituality and of community.

infused with evocative and artful film footage, is the narration velcrow offers drawing both on the spiritual and personal lessons of his youth, and those he is absorbing on the journey he shares. it is this deeply intimate thread which winds the film together, drawing the viewer into their own personal reflections and journey for the duration of the film. it is in this space that we meet the women fighting taliban rule by opening secret schools for girls, those who have created a free clinic in bhopal for the victims of union carbide, parents of both israeli and palestinian children killed in the cross-fire who are fighting oppression through compassionate solidarity, and many others….. a tapestry of lives that provide the backdrop of purpose and meaning north american consumer society is so bereft of.

what i didn’t realize until last night is this is just the first of a triology and two more films are to follow – the second currently in production. the themes velcrow is tackling are ambitious – similar to those found in the works of derrick jensen and chellis glendinning – but essential to shed light on in an increasingly unpredicatable world. as we hurtle towards some major shift in planet and species brought on by climate change, or a civilizational collapse, it is this discussion that will bring us to hope if not optimism that through resilience and connection our species may survive even the most unthinkable of moments.

this film is being shown at film festivals and community showings currently but will be released theatrically in short order. it is also available for purchase on dvd (though i’m not sure how you would get your hands on it) – i would highly recommend this film and encourage you to check out the website at http://www.scaredsacred.org. (photo at the top of this post credited to velcrow ripper)