Curriculum of the Soul – Here is a list of films I feel echoes the essence of each chapter:
• THE TOOLS: What We’re Given
Fate and Destiny – Black Orpheus
Joy – Happy-Go-Lucky
Ecstasy – Baraka
Silence – Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring
Solitude – Lost In Translation
Nature – Walkabout
Intuition – Off The Map
Curiosity – Spotlight
Courage – The Right Stuff
Dreams/ Symbols – Dreams (Akira Kurwosawa, director)
• THE JOURNEY: Suffering
Suffering – Salt of the Earth (documentary)
Trouble – Rebel Without A Cause
Addiction – Leaving Las Vegas
The Selling of the Soul – The Man From Elysian Fields
The Dark Night of the Soul – It’s A Wonderful Life
Anger – Do The Right Thing
Grief – The Sweet Hereafter
The Wounds/ The Work/ The Gifts – Seymour: An Introduction (documentary)
• BEING IN THE WORLD
Presence/ Attention – Being There
Imagination – Fantasia, Helium (Danish short film)
Improvisation – Boyhood
Art – The Great Beauty
Culture – Monsoon Wedding
Working in the World – Modern Times
Connection – The Secret of Roan Inish
Intimate Relationships – Scenes From A Marriage (Ingmar Bergman, director)
Discernment – Inside Out (animation)
Practice/Discipline – Man On Wire (documentary)
Abundance – Forrest Gump
• THE HIGHER SELF: Who We Really Are
Spirituality – Kumare
Surrender – Departures
Humility – Wild Strawberries
Kindness/ Compassion – Amour
Patience – Coming Home (Zhang Yimou, director)
Gratitude – Fearless (Peter Weir, director)
Praise – Rejoice and Shout (gospel music documentary)
Forgiveness – The Fisher King
Redemption – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Service – Babette’s Feast
Sanctuary – King of Hearts
• THE END GAME
Nourishing the Soul: Truth/ Beauty/ Love – Enchanted April
Living a Soul Life – Local Hero
Death – The Seventh Seal