Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism

Overview

The Japanese population’s reaction to the catastrophe of March 2011 has been described as “stoic” by the Western media. The Japanese code of conduct is indeed deeply rooted in their Buddhist traditions, and young filmmakers Tim Graf and Jakob Montrasio observe in detail what this means for the people and their religion. At graveyards, in temples, at monasteries and with families, they question the impact this triple affliction has had on the lives and beliefs of the inhabitants. How deeply do their beliefs affect their grieving? What role do the monks play in assisting people with their grief? And, what effects has this enormous catastrophe had on their religious rituals? SOULS OF ZEN inserts the events of March 2011 into the context of traditional Zen Buddhism, examining Japan’s religiousness and the beliefs of those practising it at a crucial turning point.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

June 1, 2012

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English, Japanese

Countries

Germany, Japan

Cast

Tenzin Gyatso,Tomonori Abe

Director

Jakob Montrasio,Tim Graf

Writer

Tim Graf

Budget

$100,000

Revenue

Not recorded

Homepage

Official site

IMDb

tt2294819