There is a belief amongst some sects of Buddhism that one can improve one’s karma not only through that challenging task of being good but also through creating or commissioning great works of art to commemorate the Buddha. If that is true, the Maharajah of Jaipur is currently celebrating enlightenment in the land of eternal lotus blossoms. As the driving force behind the 1925 silent film Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia), he opened his palace doors, city walls and elephant stables to a team of Indian and German filmmakers. The result was probably one of the most lavish tributes to Buddha the world had ever seen.
Prem Sanyas is being shown as part of the International Buddhist Film Festival at the Barbican Pit Theatre as the opening gala event for the festival. I arrive after getting slightly lost in the cavernous Barbican Centre but am just in time to hear the introduction of a number of people involved in organising the event, including Leonides Guadarrama who, like me has rushed in not a moment too soon – only he is fresh off a plane from Mexico City. Leonides coordinated the IBFF event in Mexico City last year and is responsible for the creation of the live musical score that will be accompanying the film tonight.
While Buddhism holds a great deal of fascination for me and, judging by the chatter of those around me, for much of the audience, I'm a bit nervous about a 110 minute silent film – even joined by the live musical accompaniment. This is a medium in which words in all capitals in the narrative screens are the equivalent of special effects. And as I watch Prem Sanyas I do feel that there is a distinct challenge in viewing silent films today, now that we have been so trained to expect cinematic experiences to be a rapid-fire deluge on the senses: I clearly would not have stood up to a 40-day meditation under a bodhi tree. There is no denying the stunning beauty, scope and power of the film, however, and I am lured into an almost meditative state by the sepia images, ornate sets and costumes and classic story of Siddhartha who became the Buddha. I am surprised when the end credits appear, having been drawn entirely into this masterpiece of classic silent film.
Yet whether or not I enjoyed the film as a form of pure entertainment is rather beside the point. The IBFF, which will go on to show such varied releases as Donnie Darko, Sky Burial: Tibetan Ritual Burial, and Hamlet [2000], focuses on the ways in which Buddhist ideals and practices are subtly woven into a variety of films. Their choices for the remainder of the festival are meant to inspire thought, discussion and a deeper understanding of the ways in which Buddhist ideals can permeate everyday life. And if taking part in that collective understanding of Buddhism and its modern representations isn’t a way to earn some good karma, I don’t know what is.
The International Buddhist Film Festival is at The Barbican from 7th-17th May, 2009
For more information, visit the Barbican's IBFF website
Or the Festival's official site.
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