Mission: Joy, a profound and jubilant documentary exploring the remarkable friendship between archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, is this month’s Movies with Spirit screening on June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Vivekananda Retreat, Ridgely, at 101 Leggett Road in Stone Ridge – more than a month before its nationwide release.
The award-winning film focuses on an April 2015 visit that the renowned South African Anglican archbishop and anti-apartheid and human rights activist made to the Dalai Lama’s home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate the 80th birthday of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama had not been allowed by Beijing to visit Tutu in South Africa in September 2011 for Tutu’s 80th birthday.
The two Nobel Peace laureates, who call each other their “mischievous spiritual brother,” look back on their long lives to answer a single question: How do they find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? Through rare archival footage and affecting animation, the documentary reflects on their personal hardships as well as the burden both men carry as world leaders dedicated to bringing justice and fighting authoritarianism.
The film’s trailer can be found on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/Mission-Joy-MoviesWSpirit.
The screening will be followed by a facilitated discussion. Refreshments will be served. Attendees over age 12 are asked to contribute $10 a person.
The monthly Movies with Spirit series is organized by Gerry Harrington of Kingston. The films are screened in diverse places of worship and reverence across Ulster and Dutchess counties at 7 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month. Movies with Spirit has no religious affiliation.
For more information about Mission: Joy and the rest of the series, contact Harrington at (845) 389-9201 or at gerryharrington@mindspring.com. Details are also available at www.facebook.com/movieswithspirit.
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