Into Great Silence

The waiting was over and I finally got to see this film last night.

It was stunning.
There were people for whom it was a bit soporific (quite a few tired eyes and heavy eyelids) but I was totally gripped throughout.

There was an amazing amount of energy for a two and half hour film with no soundtrack, no narration and very little speaking.

A number of things came through for me:

- the spirituality of small things. The most mundane of tasks being done with love, care and attentiveness. This really does transform the mundanity of life into an exercise in spirituality and worship.

- the importance of rhythm.

- the freedom that is to be found within limitations. We've really got to get hold of this one and it applies on many levels e.g. liturgy. Sometimes we think things limit us but they actually enable us to be truly free.

The cinematography was exquisite. It was kinda like going to the Tate and watching a video installation. It could just as easily have been screened in a gallery as in a cinema.

And it was really interesting that so many people came out on a Tuesday evening (the cinema was three quarters full) to see a film like this.

My fellow nu-monastic abbot Ian from mayBe has blogged about it here.

If you get the chance to see this film take it.