An SXSW 2017 Film Festival Official Selection, Walk with Me, tells the story of the most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh and life at Plum Village, in a major new release later in 2017. Judging by the professional trailer, this should be a popular film with Buddhists around the world.
View the trailer:
Produced by West End Films, and filmed over three years on location at Plum Village in France, and other locations, Walk with me, the movie, promises to give glimpses into life with teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the most respected spiritual leaders in the world today. Once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Thay, as he is affectionally called by his followers and friends, is famous for clarity of thought. The Zen monk’s many books are popular in the west, among the best teachings in Mindfulness and spirituality. His descriptions and lessons in Emptiness and Oneness are widely quoted — considered among the best illustrations of the difficult concept.
The movie appears to also follow the lives of monks and nuns in Plum Village, with rare glimpses into teaching sessions and meditation sessions.
Transcript of Trailer
Narrator: I knew early on that finding truth is not the same as finding happiness. You aspire to see the truth, but once you have see it you cannot avoid [suffering], otherwise you have seen nothing at all.
Text: Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh: “The Past is no longer there.” From the movie “Walk with Me.”
Thich Nhat Hanh: There is a song we like to sing. “I have arrived. I am home.”
Text: Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
Thich Nhat Hanh: Mindfulness is to always arrive in the here and the now.You have been running a lot, but you have not arrived.
Text: Followed by millions
A monk: We have taken a vow to not have any personal possessions. So, we don’t have money. We don’t have personal possessions. We don’t have a bank account.
Another voice: We are all raised in chaos…
Text: “One of the most influential spiritual leaders of our times.” — Oprah Winfrey
Thich Nhat Hanh: So, the practice of mindfulness helps us to live our lives deeply. That way, we will not waste our life.
Thich Nhat Hanh speaking in the movie Walk With Me: “That way we will not waste our lives.”
Text: “A moving and wonderful film — a great work full of love.” — Alejandro G. Inarritu
Voice: Is your life controlled by someone else?
Monk: You know Yoda in Star Wars? (Cuts to image of Thich Nhat Hanh contemplating, smiling.) A little bit like that.
Thich Nhat Hanh contemplating. From the movie “Walk with me”, releasing in 2017.
Child’s voice: I have a doggie. The doggie died… I feel so sad. (We see the child standing by Thich Nhat Hanh, who answers her…)
Thich Nhat Hanh: You look into the sky and you see a beautiful cloud. The cloud has become the rain. And when you drink your tea, you can see your cloud in your tea.
“You look into the sky and you see a beautiful cloud.” Thich Nhat Hanh in the movie “Walk With Me” releasing in 2017
(The girl smiles, understanding the metaphor of Oneness.)
Text: “Mindfulness has gone mainstream.” — New York Time
Thich Nhat Hanh: The past is no longer there. The future is not yet there. There’s only the present moment.
“There is only the present moment.” A nun depicted in the movie “Walk with Me” releasing 2017.
Text: Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch
Narrator: The mountains and rivers, earth and sun, all lie within the heart of consciousness.
Text: From the makers of Black Gold
Being in the present moment. Movie “Walk with Me” releasing 2017.
Narrator: All that will remain is the deeply rooted peace.
Text: Find out more: Walkwithmefilm.com
Josephine Nolan
Author | Buddha Weekly
Josephine Nolan is an editor and contributing feature writer for several online publications, including EDI Weekly and Buddha Weekly. She is Editor-in-Chief for Blogertize Publications.
Other Popular Stories
“Who is Tara?” — the miraculous, mystical and marvelous view. Book excerpt from “A Belief in the Miraculous” — Jason Espada
Book Excerpt “Transcending” — an important book that embraces the Trans Path: “What is body anyway?”
Pali Sutta for Our Age: Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Book Review of a Classic
Book Review: Tara in the Palm of Your Hand: a guide to the practice of the twenty-one Taras in the Surya Gupta lineage
Review: Gelug Mahamudra Eloquent Speech of Manjushri by Zasep Tulku Rinpoche; making the profound and complex meditation method concise and clear
when is the film coming to Ft Lauderdale, Miami FL area?
Hi, release is Fall 2017. I’m not sure there’s a list of release theatres or times yet. In kindness, Lee
There was a FB post suggesting Oct 19th. Is this definite? Where to buy tickets?
Dear Jan, the best place for release info (and even to buy tickets) is from the website http://www.walkwithme.com. From there, I see it opens different dates: Aug 18 in Boulder CO and in New York at the Rubin Museum of Art, in Hong Kong and Taiwan in Sept, and also many other states (see that site for info). They’re also asking sponsors to host screenings.
Jan, I should have given you the direct link to the show times and buy tickets: https://walkwithmefilm.com/host-a-screening
I also posted the link on on Facebook page. You can probably also get information from the film’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/walkwithmefilm