10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, a film by Rick Ray, will be presented beginning at 7 p.m., Friday, October 17, in Brookens Auditorium, lower level of Brookens Library at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The film and a discussion session that follows are free and open to the public.
In this 2006 film, Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East together with the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. Speaking at length with the Dalai Lama over the course of an extended private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India, Ray asked a number of questions, including: How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? The result has been described as "part biography, part philosophy, part adventure, and part politics." Also included are rare historical filmclips and footage by individuals who, at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras inside Tibet.
Part of UIS' Fall 2008 Foreign and Independent Film Series, the film is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.
Upcoming ECCE programs include "Centennial of Fire" with author/historian Roberta Senechal on October 23; and "Queer Love in the Time of War and Shopping" with Martin Manalansan on October 29. See the complete schedule of ECCE speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.
See the line-up of remaining foreign and independent films for the fall semester.
For information about any ECCE event, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.
