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Drafts of American Zen

Independent filmmaker Tom Davenport has been working on a film exploring the daily rituals of zen practice during a meditation retreat. The film contrasts a series of drawings about zen monastic life in Japan many years ago with images from current practice in the United States. He has posted drafts of his film in segments on YouTube.
  1. American Zen Part One
  2. American Zen Part Two
  3. American Zen Part Three
  4. American Zen Part Four
Weaving the old drawings through the daily life of zen practice helps the uninitiated feel comfortable with the mysterious happenings depicted in the film. The depiction of a novice's entry into this mysterious world helps us feel secure entering it. Seeing the events and people depicted in the drawings match those before our eyes gives us a sense of continuity. Between the narration and the exotic but familiar scenes, the film goes far to dispel the mystery of zen practice and acquaint the viewer with the history and practice of zen in America.

The internet has made it possible for people to see filmmakers at work, like the way one can watch glassblowers working at the local craft fair, out in the open as they work their miracles where everyone can see. Whoever is interested in filmmaking, can watch the process or participate in the debate as a film is edited. Whether that is a good thing or not, I will leave to posterity to decide, but it is one more way in which the network changes they way things are done.
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