Assalamalaykumwarathmatullahbaraktuhu
Activist events in Austin: Tibet, Torture, etc.
Visit
http://ThirdCoastActivist.org for event details and
news.
Monday, May 12, 8 p.m.
PermaCulture in a West African Eco-Village
Learn about permaculture at Xofa Eco-Village in Ghana, West Africa
from Cudjoe Exah, one of Xofa's founder and permaculture farmer, and
Vicki Wolf, environmental writer and eco-happy traveler. They will
also present a video of interviews at the eco-village.
Location: MonkeyWrench Books, 110. E. North Loop.
Wednesday, May 14, 8 p.m.
Bonnie Tamres-Moore, "U.S.-Sponsored Torture"
Bonnie Tamres-Moore, a founding member of the National Religious
Campaign Against Torture, will speak about torture, the United
States, and the rule of law. The event is sponsored by Interfaith
Community for Palestinian Rights.
Location: MonkeyWrench Books, 110. E. North Loop.
Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m.
Third Coast Film Night at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, "Angry Monk:
Reflections on Tibet"
Gendun Choephel Gendun Choephel (1903-1951) is a legendary figure in
Tibet, not simply because he was believed to be the reincarnation of
a famous Buddhist lama but also because this promising young monk
eventually turned his back on monastic life and became a fierce
critic of his country's religious conservatism, cultural isolationism
and reactionary government. After leaving the monastery in 1934, and
fueled by his intellectual curiosity and free-spirited nature,
Choephel began extensive travels throughout Tibet and India in order
to understand the true political history of his country.
ANGRY MONK provides both a personal and political portrait of this
pioneering and visionary intellectual who was also a smoking,
drinking and sexually active man who renounced the "false duty of
monastic obligations." The film traces the biography and historic
times of Choephel, who lived between the British colonial invasion of
1903 and the occupation by the Chinese army in 1951.
In addition to rare archival footage, Choephel's paintings and
sketches, and contemporary scenes of many of the sites he visited,
the documentary features interviews with Tibetan historians,
scholars, writers, poets, a travel companion, a contemporaneous
British diplomat, and Choephel's wife. Their commentary and
reminiscences chronicle the major phases of Choephel's life,
including his monastery education in Lhasa (1927-34), his journey
across Tibet (1934-1938), his journey throughout India (1938-1946),
and his return to Tibet (1946-1951).
Choephel's many writings include a guide book to Buddhist holy sites
in India, a Tibetan translation of the Kama Sutra, and a political
history of Tibet published posthumously. He also wrote articles for
an expatriate newspaper that criticized Tibet as a political,
cultural and scientific backwater, which in 1946 led the Tibetan
government to imprison Choephel for three years as a political
subversive. Today Choephel is a revered figure in his Chinese-
occupied homeland, and an influential symbol of hope for those
seeking political and spiritual reform in a free Tibet.
"Absorbing... a very useful perspective on recent Tibetan history."
-- The Vancouver Sun
"Excellent... The film not only sheds light on a most unique
personality. It also is an excellent introduction to Tibetan culture
and politics."
-- Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist
Location: Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, at the newly renovated Ritz
Theater location, 320 E. 6th Street
Tickets - $8.25 general / $6 student, senior - are available at the
door or online at
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - ANGRY MONK: REFLECTIONS ON TIBET
Wedesday, June 18, 7 p.m.
Third Coast Film Night at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, "Intimidad"
Intimidad Cecy and Camilo - ages 21 - recently migrated to Reynosa,
Mexico from Santa Maria, Puebla with a dream to buy land and build a
home. One year later they return to Puebla during Christmas vacation
to reunite with their daughter. What seems like a satisfying reunion
and temporary relief from the harsh environment of Reynosa turns into
a confusing dilemma between Cecy and Camilo. The conflict threatens
to transform the course of their lives and suspend efforts to improve
their living conditions, thereby further straining the family's
ability to live together. Intimidad challenges viewers to understand
Cecy and Camilo as people first and interpret their complex lives
through a simple story. Intimidad was filmed over the course of 4
years and mixes digital verite with Super 8 and 16mm film stock.
"brilliantly poetic" -- Film Threat
Location: Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, at the newly renovated Ritz
Theater location, 320 E. 6th Street
Tickets - $8.25 general / $6 student, senior - are available at the
door or online at
The Original Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Unless otherwise noted, events are free and open to the public.
Please forward where appropriate.
Texas Thread
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