This powerful documentary approaches the inner practices, the iconography and the daily rhythm of devotion that lie at the heart of the Christian contemplative tradition. The film introduces us first to life in St. Catherine’s Monastery, which nestles at the foot of Mount Sinai, where God once spoke to Moses. It then reveals the strictures of the monastic discipline followed in the remote peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where monks have lived and prayed for more than a thousand years. From there, we are introduced to monasteries and churches in Russia where communities gather for worship and religious celebration. Along with its stunning photography and Lubtchansky’s penetrating commentary, the film includes some profound interviews with monks speaking about the life of contemplation and prayer. The film will be introduced by Jeremy Naydler, and after the screening there will be time for discussion.

Jean-Claude Lubtchansky (1930-2020) was a French documentary filmmaker who, over his long career, made important contributions to educational television in France, making films on such figures as Galileo and Leonardo da Vinci. He also worked as a film editor for Peter Brook’s Lord of the Flies (1963) and was production associate for Brook’s Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979). His deep interest in esotericism and spirituality led him to making a trilogy of documentaries on G. I. Gurdjieff entitled The Seekers of Truth (2005) and a series of films on Shintoism, Buddhism, Hinduism and the present film on Christianity.

Film duration - 52 minutes

Venue & Admission

Sands Films Studio, 82 St Marychurch Street, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4HZ

Doors Open 6.30pm, Film starts 7pm.

£12 General Admission/ £6 for Temenos Academy Members and Full-time students with ID card