The Dhamma Brothers documents the stories of inmates at the maximum-security Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama, as they enter into an intensive 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. EJI supported the project and the film, which is now being screened across the country.
The film has received glowing reviews and critical acclaim. Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis said: “This film makes it plain that no human being–no matter how troubled his beginning, regardless of his race, color, nationality, or creed–should be considered beyond the reach of redemption.” The New York Times calls the film “an emotional documentary about the benefits of meditation for a most unlikely set of candidates.”
The Dhamma Brothers will be screened at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, September 28, 2008.