No,
these are not the stats for the most recent action flick or Hollywood mega-movie. They are for a small independent film
company's documentary called "What the Bleep Do We Know".
It's a very basic look at metaphysics but even
so, the popularity of this film reveals that the
mainstream is embracing the rise of Conscious
Cinema.
Perhaps it's a reminder that Misery is not the
only one who likes company. Maybe Hope and Epiphany
are having more people over lately? Although
we're used to coming out of the theatre with
popcorn kernels stuck in between our molars,
violent images jamming up our synapses and
numbness freezing up our emotions, we might just
as easily get accustomed to inspiration
flickering on the big screen.
Film is inherently powerful because it communicates on so many
levels: with visual images and symbols, with dark and
light, with sound and silence, with words and music, with
movement and stillness, with stories and poetry. It's the
closest thing to virtual reality outside of a "holodeck" and it
can be used for any purpose: to spread
information or propaganda, to educate or subjugate, to share new
ideas or entrench old ones, to examine issues or obfuscate, to
depress or inspire, to propagate or release
emotion, to unite or to
separate, to frighten or enlighten. It can be a mundane medium or a powerful tool.
We have all seen how it can turn a stranger into a household
name, a local scenario into a national disaster, a new idea into
an ideology and a single hope into a world-wide crusade.
As the consciousness of our planet continues to evolve to higher
and higher vibrations, our cinema cannot help but join us.
Despite the existence of a well-oiled and corporately controlled
film industry in the Western World, many gems are popping up in
North America and around the globe. It's a whisper
of the upcoming supply of meaningful films that will come
straight from the filmmakers' hearts, and from the cosmic
village's collective desires.
So what classifies a film as "conscious cinema"? Though
subjectivity plays a part in the definition of "conscious", the
genre can be identified generally by the sense that the film's
intent is to contribute to humanity's spiritual growth and that
it wishes to remind us of what is True, Good and Beautiful
within each of us. Simply throwing something tasty onto
the intellectual barbecue is not enough... Peace, Compassion, Inspiration and Love
must be in the recipe.
Love? Don't we have enough films about Love? Maybe.
But it's usually about Romantic Love (aka Eros). Now it's
time to tango with Agape: aka Divine Love,
Unconditional Love, Spiritual Love, Universal Love...
Films imbued with the spirit of Hope, Joy and Divine Love eh?
Is this simply another fairweather trend of the fickle Hollywood machine? Is it
just a temporary fix to ease our angst... perhaps a band-aid for
the collective wound that we share whenever we look at the
apparent pain in the world? Or is it truly a reflection of
a real change in consciousness that is happening on a planetary
scale?
Perhaps the more appropriate question would be: Do
you
have a hankering for some conscious cinema because your
consciousness is changing?
For those who worry that we might soon run out of violent
thrillers, horror flicks, sexploitation and reality TV...
Don't worry, that will all be there. We live in a world of
contrast. We can't shave off the dark side of the moon
because it's not a separate piece. So no, we won't be faced
with just a saccharine diet of feel-good, lovey-dovey
movies. For those cinephiles who love a 'good villain',
they can rest easy because the gradient of
so-called "good and evil" will be explored for
ages to come.
Just like the film hero who is free to choose
their destiny, we are equally
free to choose our life experiences. We can flip through
the unlimited channels of the Universe and catch
a tragedy or comedy... depending on the day's
mood. As experimental
cinematographers, we may choose the
lightest of light or the darkest of dark. We call the
shots and select the images we imprint onto our
cellular film. And as we write, produce and direct
our own dramas, we get to decide who stays in
the picture.
~ woo, 2004
You oughta be in pictures,
You’re wonderful to see,
You oughta be in pictures,
Oh what a hit you would be!
Your voice would thrill a nation,
Your face would be adored,
You’d make a great sensation
with wealth and fame your reward;
And if you should kiss the way you kiss,
When we’re alone,
You’d make ev’ry girl and man
A fan worshiping at your throne.
You oughta shine as brightly
As Jupiter and Mars;
You oughta be in pictures,
My star of stars.
