Ora Et Labora

In the last fifty years the culture of Zen has spread far beyond Japan. Zen centers and zen retreats have sprung up throughout America and Europe. When Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen, brought Zen to Japan from China 800 years ago, it quickly took root and became an integral part of Japanese life. Yet what do we know about zen practice in Japan today? The Zen Mind is a fascinating journey across Japan to explore zen in its natural habitat.

In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.

The nuns of the Anglican Benedictine Community at St. Mary's Abbey, West Malling, reflect on their calling and the joys and challenges of their way of life. In this short documentary, directed by Jamie Hughes, the nuns' voices are complemented by images from the life of the Abbey.

Nicholas Vreeland walked away from a worldly life of privilege to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Grandson of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland and apprentice of photographer Irving Penn, Nicholas' life changed drastically upon meeting one of the Dalai Lama's teachers. Soon thereafter, he gave up his glamorous life to live in a monastery in India, ultimately returning to his roots in photography to help his fellow monks rebuild their monastery.

An intimate portrayal of the everyday lives of Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse, high in the French Alps (Chartreuse Mountains). The idea for the film was proposed to the monks in 1984, but the Carthusians said they wanted time to think about it. The Carthusians finally contacted Gröning 16 years later to say they were now willing to permit Gröning to shoot the movie, if he was still interested.

Inspired by the original micropub craze in Kent, three entrepreneurial Londoners decide to open their very own micropub and revitalise their high streets through a love of real ale, conversation and community spirit.

Beer Culture the Movie, was the first film produced by Free Mind Productions and inspired the creation of Crafting A Nation. Beer Culture the Movie tells the story of the hardworking men and women in the Colorado Craft Beer culture as they come together to defeat legislation that could greatly harm the successful craft beer industry within the state.

This documentary focuses on the journey of Merton, a bohemian who went from communism to Catholicism before finding his calling as a monk cloistered in eastern Kentucky for 27 years. It also covers his writing career which examined spirituality, the Cold War, the civil rights movement and being an individual in a post-modern world

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world. Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate the industry.

Ivan, first tsar of Russia. History will remember him as "the Terrible. Russian people love him for centuries. He liberates Russia from foreign oppressors, demands absolute obedience and loyalty in order to radically modernise Russia? Ivan IV, Grand Duke of Moscow, first Tsar of Russia by the grace of God. A madman? A sadist?

“A Two Hearted Tale” is a heartfelt look at the history of the iconic trout label adorning Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, the Michigan-born beer that is the most popular IPA beer in America, and the label’s eccentric artist, Ladislav Hanka.

Craft beer, microbrewery, small brewery, IPA, IBU, gypsy brew, surface and secondary fermentation – these are just a small selection of keywords that have been heard more and more often among serious beer enthusiasts in the last few years. Today, new small breweries still account for less than a few percent of the total market, and the topics related to them are so frequent on the lips of enthusiasts and in the wider media that a legitimate question arises: what is it all about? “Beer Revolution” does not provide direct answers, but it offers a kaleidoscopic overview of craft beer producers, sellers and consumers in Estonia in 2015.

Brewing a great-tasting beer requires more than hops and barley. It takes innovation and an artist’s vision to create a brew that stands out from the rest. That’s why the art of beer making has played an integral part in establishing Tampa Bay as one of the top craft beer scenes in the country. Tampa Bay has a long history with beer. It’s home to Florida’s first brewery, Florida Brewing Company, which still stands and survived adversities like Prohibition and the Great Depression. And in the past decade, the region has redefined the craft beer scene with pioneers like Cigar City Brewing redefining the craft and precision that makes Tampa Bay beer internationally renowned. Tampa Beer: Crafting The Bay tells the story of a destination that loves beer and the personalities who dedicate their lives brewing it. From hipster havens to historic districts, meet the people and places who make Tampa Bay the heart of Florida’s craft beer scene.

Documentary about the Buddhist nun Setouchi Jakucho, who continued writing until her death in November 2021 at the age of 99. Features words of wisdom and personal revelations in never-seen-before footage captured by Nakamura Yu over a 17-year period. Setouchi Jakucho achieved undisputed acclaim as a feminist author with numerous semi-autobiographical novels based on personal experiences, including affairs and elopement. The film shows her attitude of fully embracing life even after becoming a Buddhist nun at age 51, which earned her wide-spread popularity in Japan.

The heroic romance of the profession is in the story about the life of test pilot Yuri Garnaev, who tragically died with his crew while extinguishing forest fires in France in 1967.

The Last of the Little Breweries, a student film documenting the history of the Spoetzel Brewery in Lavaca County, Texas, was produced and directed by University of Texas at Austin student Frank Binney (later a professor in the Radio-Television-Film Department) in 1976. Tracing Bavarian-born brewmaster Kosmos Spoetzel's journey through Egypt, Canada, and San Francisco before landing in Shiner, Texas, in 1915, it won an Achievement Award in documentary at the 4th Annual Student Film Awards (now known as the Student Academy Awards) in 1977.

A documentary about monks evacuating from Valamo, Ladoga to Finland during the Winter War.

Thich Nhat Hanh, monk, zen teacher, writer and peace activist, born in Vietnam in 1926, was the organiser of a non-violent resistance movement after the outbreak of the Vietnam War. We follow Thich Nhat Hanh around the time of Memorial Day of 9/11 in Washington D.C., where he teaches Members of Congress the concepts of ‘Mindful Living’. He tries to convey his message of peace straight to the centre of world power. Thousands of people participate each year in the meditation retreats led by Thich Nhat Hanh. In his monastic community Plum Village in the south of France, his home base, he brings groups of Palestinians and Israelis together. Horrible experiences are exchanged and discussed for the first time, in the hope that people may come to recognize each other’s suffering.

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