Thus Have I Seen (THIS) Buddhist Film Festival

  

Thus Have I Seen

Today was another awesome Saturday! And as awesome as it is, also, a thought-provoking one. Which is really nice though haha, I love being caught in deep thoughts cause of an action, cause of something. But yes, awesome Saturday is awesome. I went to watch 3 more screenings of the THIS Buddhist Film Festival 2012 with Saeyeoh today! They are Angin, Your Mind Is Bigger Than All The Supermarkets In The World and One Mile Above! All great movies/documentaries.

I will write my thoughts of the films I watched today later on hehe.

 

 The autographed CD of Angin! Thanks Dharma in Action hehe

So I met her at 11 today and we went to watch our first two screening (Angin and Your Mind). It was lovely of the director of Angin, Mr Winaldo Artaraya Swastia to come down and have a Q&A session with us after the screening of his movie. And yes he's Indonesian! I'm really proud of him, to have someone who's able to create such a beautiful and sweet short-movie that is really meaningful. And it was even more meaningful when he explained the meaning behind the title Angin (wind).

As a fellow Indonesian I'm curious of course, so I asked him what inspired him to make a movie about Buddhism in Indonesia? And I'm glad to know that well not only there isn't any Buddhist Fictional movie before Angin, but he also wants to share his passion and happiness in showing the teachings of Buddhism. After the movie screening I met him outside and have a chat with him. And wow his father is from my hometown Sukabumi! Haha. And of course I took a photo with him ^^ and I got myself an autographer CD of Angin for the Q&A session (Thanks Dharma in action!)

 Me and the director of Angin, Mr Winaldo!

After watching his movie, it really inspired me to make a short movie as well about Buddhism. Though I'm not a movie maker heh. Or well maybe perhaps a short photography project? So I convey my thoughts through pictures hehe.

Then Saeyeoh and I went for lunch at Seoul Garden. Oh gosh it's been such a long time since I ate there and we had a yummy lunch (and filling one too). Had a good chat and good catch-up as well! :) And so then we make our way back to Lido for the last movie screening of the day, and of this year's festival, One Mile Above by Du Jiayi!

It was such a great movie. Throughout the movie I was just awed in silence for it's awesomeness. It's one of the most beautiful and one of the best movies I've ever watched! So touching, sad but at the same time it's just wonderful... I'm so glad that I got two tickets from the super-fast-selling seats back in August whew. I watched the trailer back at Mangala Vihara when Dharma in Action people came there to give a short talk of the festival. I know I have to watch this one!

After the movie I got myself mooncakes! Thanks to being an M1 user I got 15% off hehe from Marriott! And then we decided to go to a place near Raffles Place, beside the Singapore river to just chill with the evening breeze. Thanks for intro-ing me to that place! It was really lovely and nice. Should go there more often to chill hehe. And yup, that's all for the day!

Right moving on to my thoughts about THIS Buddhist Film Festival.

So basically I watched three movie screenings today, and the three of them are really great movies/documentary to begin with. Angin, as Mr Winaldo explained, is used as a theme of Anicca (impermanence). I think it's a great movie to show how things come and go, that all things are impermanent yes?

Your Mind Is Bigger Than All The Supermarkets In The World (I'll cut it short with Your Mind) is another great experiential documentary too. Though the documentary is just video stills of the director, having a conversation with her meditation teacher in Sri Lanka, I feel that watching it makes me feel like I'm -there- too with them, talking, enjoying the view. Some of the words that I picked up from the docu were really great too.

I particularly like the part where Upul Nishanta said something about living the moment. How true that whenever I do work (say my report), I can't just think of the THING I'm doing now. I'll think of the other parts of my report. I'll think whether it's good enough. I'll think whether Dr Simon would like it or not. I can't just think of the present! The thing I'm doing NOW. And hence yes, it's important to just focus on what you're doing now, rather than just... Keep on thinking of the future and worrying yourself unnecessarily. Live the moment!

And another one is about happiness, and unhappiness. So happiness is when you're able to do what you mind wants you to do. If you're not able to do what your mind wants you to do, you get a punishment which is known as, unhappiness! So yeah, basically it all comes back to the fact that happiness is from within. We create our own sadness and happiness. Less of the outer things that we get or we face. Interesting ya?

Last but not least, about life. The words that ring in my head the most is this. You can use the life to understand about the life. What is it? And also, how life is one huge laboratory where we carry out our experiments. I think it's true how much life is one great journey. And to understand this journey, I think only we can do so. We can't tell people hi this is life. We tell ourselves what life is. Cause though we all live to die eventually, it is our definitions of life that make life so beautiful.
 
Following THIS theme for this year, "Open Your Mind", going to four screenings of the movies showcased really made me open my mind more about my religion, but actually more to life. Especially today's movie screenings. I've learnt a lot and it was just great to learn more. So far all of the movies are thought-provoking. It made you think, and most importantly it made you feel. And I think that is a very important feature of a film.

Thought I wouldn't call myself as a strong Buddhist, I truly enjoy learning its teachings (Dhamma) and also trying to apply it in my life. Though so far, I find it really challenging and yes it's possible of course. I was talking to Saeyeoh today about religion, and well perhaps, some people convert away from Buddhism cause maybe one of the reasons is that they couldn't follow the teaching and find it difficult. Well I heard it from somewhere... Buddhism is not about learning about being a good Buddhist. It's learning about life, learning about yourself.

And to think how complex life can be, you should understand my point, yes? :)

Alright what a long post. To all the organisers and everyone else who made THIS Buddhist Film Festival 2012 possible, thank you very much for your hardwork and dedication! Truly enjoyed the movie screenings I went to. I hope to see you again in 2014 hehe. Thanks for opening my mind, and well here I go saying....  

Thus Have I Seen.