Made by Canadian filmmaker David Cherniack, the new documentary film Retreat follows thirty-five Westerners — some who are beginners at meditation – “as they attempt an intense, eight-week, silent retreat in Thailand with the American Buddhist teacher, B. Alan Wallace. The meditation practice they’re learning is shamatha, or calm abiding, stilling the mind with sustained, one-pointed, concentration.”
Watch the first ten minutes of Retreat here:
RETREAT – the first 10 minutes of the 108 minute feature documentary from David Cherniack on Vimeo.
DVD and high definition Blu-Ray editions of the film, which include “an immersive, surround-sound soundtrack” are now available.
More from Retreat‘s official description: “The film follows the retreat from start to finish. We see it through Alan’s eyes and through the difficulties experienced by four of the retreatants recorded on video diaries. Tension builds when one retreatant has a sustained psychotic episode and things threaten to come apart. Afterward they come together in surprising and touching ways.”
