Mindful Eye
Film at Tzu Chi Center
Coming in February
Karuna
February 24 – March 26, 2022
@ 8pm ET | 7pm CT | 6pm MT | 5pm PT
This winter, discover how engaged Buddhism can change the world through a vivid documentary that takes you into the lives of a small, but mighty group of women in India and Nepal. See how they’ve been empowered by Karuna-Shechen, a non-profit co-founded by Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard and Tibetan Buddhist Master Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche. Plus, catch a bonus interview with the film’s producer, Ida Eva Zielinska, with host Bart Shatto. Don’t miss it!
Get Tickets
You’ll receive the viewing link for the program after your purchase.
All proceeds from our program will be donated to Tzu Chi USA humanitarian efforts.
About “Mindful Eye”
Screening bi-monthly, the Tzu Chi Center presents films and conversations on global issues connected to core concepts in Buddhism, including compassion and mindful living. We have pointed our lens at documentary and fiction films that teach, challenge, and inspire us to act. We’re also inviting special guests to discuss the films, the issues they explore, and so much more.
All proceeds from Mindful Eye ticket sales are donated to Tzu Chi USA’s humanitarian efforts.
About Our Next Screening
As we ring in the new year, we’re examining how timeless Buddhism wisdom, when put into action, may improve the quality of life for those around us and reduce suffering (particularly in the developing world). We’ll be watching the Tzu Chi USA & On Buddha’s Path original documentary, Karuna, and will be joined by special guest speaker, Ida Eva Zielinska, the producer of the film.
KARUNA takes viewers on a vivid journey through the Himalayas to Bodh Gaya, India. It traces the path of compassion in action, as practiced by the non-profit, Karuna-Shechen, co-founded by Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard, and Tibetan Buddhist Master Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche. Through a small group of spirited women, we discover how engaged Buddhism can serve as a powerful ally to women’s empowerment.
About Guest Speakers
IDA EVA ZIELINSKA is the producer of Karuna, as well as a documentary director and screenwriter with TV series pilots and over 80 episodes to her credit. Her enduring creative focus is to reveal universal truths, facilitate communication and understanding across differences, and champion social justice. Read her latest work published in the Tzu Chi USA Journal.
How to Watch
You’ll receive the viewing link for the program after your purchase.
All proceeds from our program will be donated to Tzu Chi USA humanitarian efforts.
Purchase tickets via website and receive an email with access link to the livestream (valid till March 26th, 2022).
About Our Host
Actor Bart Shatto was last seen in the Tony-nominated musical War Paint with two-time Tony winners Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersole. Bart was also in the original Broadway casts of the Tony-nominated musicals The Civil War and Hands on a Hardbody, as well as Dracula. He also played Jean Valjean in both National Tour and Broadway casts of the Tony-winning musical Les Miserables. See him in the Tzu Chi USA short film, Love Saves.
Upcoming Events
Love our Mindful Eye selections? Stay in the know about our upcoming screenings:
All opinions expressed by program participants are solely theirs and do not reflect that of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation (Tzu Chi USA). Any content provided by the speakers are their opinions.
Film Selection
Honeyland
A woman utilises ancient beekeeping traditions to cultivate honey in the mountains of North Macedonia. When a neighbouring family tries to do the same, it becomes a source of tension as they disregard her wisdom and advice.
Directed by Ljubo Stefanov & Tamara Kotevska
Screening on FEB 25, 2021
Stung by Climate
Bees pollinate one third of our food, but in recent years beekeepers have seen many of their colonies dying without knowing why. Like many animals, bees depend on weather and, as the climate changes, beekeepers all over the globe may face unprecedented challenges.
Directed by Nils Aucante
Screening on FEB 25, 2021
Tea Mountain: A Life Steeped in Gratitude
The organic tea produced here by a dedicated team of workers has already made a mark on the Taiwanese tea market. Will their heartfelt perseverance set the farm on a path where it can prosper for generations to come?
Directed by Ting Fan
Screening on APR 29 – MAY 28, 2021
Monk with a Camera
Nicky Vreeland, son of Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, gave up photography to become a Buddhist monk. Years later, he picked up his camera again to earn money to rebuild his monastery.
Directed by Tina Mascara & Guido Santi
Screening JUN 24 to JUL 23, 2021
My Year of Living Mindfully
My Year of Living Mindfully is filled with compelling stories, groundbreaking science, and unexpected insights that go to the heart of what it means to be human in the twenty-first century.
Directed by Shannon Harvey
Screening on AUG 26 – SEP 25, 2021
Finding Liberation in Trauma
It takes an incredibly compassionate and peaceful soul to inspire the same in others. Staff Chaplain Justin Von Bujdoss is one of those people, working with 9,000 correctional officers at the New York City’s Rikers Island Correctional Facility.
Directed by Ida Eva Zielinska
Screening on AUG 26 – SEP 25, 2021
Gunda
Through encounters with a mother sow (the eponymous Gunda), two ingenious cows, and a scene-stealing, one-legged chicken, Kossakovsky movingly recalibrates our moral universe, reminding us of the inherent value of life and the mystery of all animal consciousness, including our own.
Directed by Victor Kossakovsky
Screening on NOV 10 – 16, 2021
Karuna
From the foothills of the Himalaya in Nepal to Bodh Gaya in India, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, this documentary takes us on a vivid journey, tracing the path of compassion in action as practiced by Karuna-Shechen, a non-profit co-founded by Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard.
Directed by Héctor Muniente
Screening on FEB 24 – MAR 26, 2022
The Peace Inside
This dramatic film presents the true story of a friendship that spans twenty years and continues, revealing how Buddhist wisdom can lead to inner transformation, bringing peace and solace to even the most troubled heart.
Directed by Daniel Ferrara
Love Saves
Each life story can be an inspiration. Prepare to be moved by our new “Love Saves” short film series, inspired by the remarkable people Tzu Chi volunteers meet during their many missions to help others.
Directed by Daniel Ferrara
Our Partners
Mindful Eye screenings are made possible thanks to the generous support of community partners in culture and arts programming.
