Documentary on Thich Nhat Hanh Showcases the Zen Way of Life

Walk With Me documentary trailer and behind the scenes footage released.

A documentary on Zen Buddhism under the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh called Walk With Me, seeks to show the world how the Zen community uses mindfulness and detachment from worldly possessions as tools in their spiritual endeavor to know the self and to connect with each other. The documentary will be focused around the life and teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, who shaped the Zen school of Buddhism in the modern world as we know it.

Documentary on Thich Nhat Hanh Showcases the Zen Way of Life[/tweetthis]

The film will have a narration by Benedict Cumberbatch, who became famous for his role as Sherlock Holmes in the television series Sherlock. British actor Cumberbatch is himself deeply associated with Buddhism, ever since he was touched by the faith’s beliefs when he spent a year in India teaching English at a Buddhist monastery. He got into close association with the Buddhist monks, from whom he learned the art of meditation.

Walk With Me, is directed by Max Pugh and Marc J. Francis of Speakit Films, which brings us the documentary. The duo revealed in an interview for the Mindfulness Bell Autumn 2015 edition that they were inspired to make the film when Pugh was asked to make a documentary on a monastic tour that happened in the U.S. in 2011. The fact that until then no such documentary was made drove Pugh to think of making one that could be understood not only by the Buddhists, but by all people as well, even those who knew nothing about Buddhism.

The filmmakers say that making such a documentary wasn’t easy, and that’s why they spent three years on it, visiting Zen monasteries and trying to assimilate the Zen way of life into their own. The two say that the three years that they spent studying Zen helped them become more self-aware and gave them more control over their senses and emotions. For them, making the documentary was not only about finishing a task, but also a new spiritual path of self-discovery which has helped them understand themselves better.

Cumberbatch says that he is honored that he could be a part of the film and believes that the artistic way in which the documentary has been made will surely move the audiences who watch it.

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