Moonsigns
|
Band Guide
|
Blogs
|
In Pictures
|
Adult
Boston
|
Portland
|
Providence
Movies
Features
|
Reviews
Before the Rains
Roman de gare
Reviews
The Dhamma Brothers
Meditation rehabilitating prisoners
By
PETER KEOUGH
|
May 14, 2008
THE DHAMMA BROTHERS
3.5
Stars
Since the US has more people in prison than any other country, shouldn’t we be working on an effective method of rehabilitation? A potential solution comes from an unlikely place, the notorious Donaldson Correctional Facility in Alabama, where the resident psychologist brought in a pair of teachers to instruct volunteers in Vipassana Buddhist meditation. It involves perching on a cushion for 10 hours at a time in utter silence for 10 days. Me, I’d opt for the cooler instead. But several inmates signed up, and the results were so amazing that the jealous prison chaplain had the program shut down. The filmmakers — Andrew Kukura, Jennie Phillips, and Anne Marie Stein — do best when they concentrate on the prisoners’ own testimony and don’t go off on loopy re-creations. And though the anecdotal evidence compels, more-scientific back-up is called for. Nonetheless, when a convicted killer forgives the person who murdered his own daughter, even the most skeptical might be swayed.
76 minutes | Coolidge Corner
Related
:
Fact or fiction?
Mat Whitecross explains
Yes sir!
David Zeiger’s anti-war military
Trial and error
The system is found guilty in After Innocence
More
Fact or fiction?
Mat Whitecross explains
Yes sir!
David Zeiger’s anti-war military
Trial and error
The system is found guilty in After Innocence
Tuya's Marriage
An unforgettable heroine
Visitation rights
Hidden in plain sight
True Dick?
Looking for fidelity to the cyber-punk master
Dead reckoning
George Romero’s exquisite corpses
The Tracey Fragments
A torturously stylized melodrama
The Omen
Why?
Death watch
Gabriel Range on his President
Less
Topics
:
Reviews
,
Prisons
,
Entertainment
,
Movies
,
More
,
Prisons
,
Entertainment
,
Movies
,
Criminal Sentencing and Punishment
,
Less
Share
:
Rss
Email
Print
Comments
Add a Comment
ARTICLES BY PETER KEOUGH
MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
| October 01, 2008
Has Spike Lee lost his way?
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE
| October 01, 2008
Lesson learned, but no laughs
FLASH OF GENIUS
| October 01, 2008
An unexciting, earnest homily
FLOW
| September 24, 2008
A somewhat wishy-washy exposé
LAKEVIEW TERRACE
| September 23, 2008
Full of entrapping clichés
See all articles by:
PETER KEOUGH
MOST POPULAR
Most Viewed
Most Emailed
BULL DISCLOSURE
As the candidates prep for the final debate, it’s a fitting time to ask: why do some journalistic conflicts of interest become scandals, while others get almost no attention at all?
I HAD AN ABORTION
Forty percent of American women have abortions by the time they're 45. I'm one of them.
THE MELTING POT
Dip into confusing dining
HOT LOVE
Taste the flames inside Boston's secret world of fire artists
SCHLEPPING FOR OBAMA
The Boston roots of Sarah Silverman's Jewbama crusade
SCHLEPPING FOR OBAMA
The Boston roots of Sarah Silverman's Jewbama crusade
WORDS AS MUSIC
Alan Lupo was many things — among them, the best metro columnist Boston may ever see
BULL DISCLOSURE
As the candidates prep for the final debate, it’s a fitting time to ask: why do some journalistic conflicts of interest become scandals, while others get almost no attention at all?
SCARLET LETTERS
The uptight killjoy in us
MOBILE-HOME GAME
Cross the Mayor of Lansdowne Street at your peril, Sox fans: you might be jinxing your team in the process
HOT TOPICS
Daniel Day-Lewis
,
Jack Black
,
Michael Clayton
,
Michael Haneke
,
Osama bin Laden
,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
,
Michael Jackson
,
Paris Hilton
,
Paul Thomas Anderson
,
Tommy Lee Jones
More Topics
. . .
LATEST SLIDESHOWS
Photos: Bulls on parade
Photos: Built To Spill at the Orpheum
All Slideshows
Explore your Fantasies
Featured Articles in Reviews
:
An American Carol
A dissent-bashing tale
The Express
Football bio-pic offers a reflection on our not-so-proud past
Our Disappeared
Fascinating historical clips mixed with personal interviews
Days and Clouds
Well shot but predictably depressing
Religulous
Unabashedly agnostic and skeptical
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
|
Sign In
|
Register
thePhoenix.com:
Home
Listings
Editor's Picks
News
Music
Film + TV
Food + Drink
Life
Arts
Rec Room
Video
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
Boston Phoenix
Portland Phoenix
Providence Phoenix
StuffAtNight
People2People
MassWeb Printing
G8Wave
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Work For Us
Sitemap
RSS
Mobile
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group