Category: art

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Two films about hermits

Two films of interest to anticipate: Into Great Silence (Germany) and The Island (Russian).

Into Great Silence is a documentary film of the Grande Chartreuse and daily life of the silent monks there. Because no one in the film speaks and there is no voice-over narration, Into Great Silence is a visual and aural experience of great depth. URL: http://www.diegrossestille.de.

The Island tells the story of a modern-day guilt-ridden man who sacrifices life by entering a rigorous and isolated monastery and pursuing a life of atonement there, where he challenges the monks and attracts pilgrims who seek him out for advice and healing. URL:
http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2006/films_schedules/films_description.asp?id=161.

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“The Hermit of Manana” film

Filmmaker Elisabeth has just finished “The Hermit of Manana,” a documentary film described as

the true story of Ray Phillips, a New York City dropout who lived alone on a tiny isolated island [Manana Island, Maine] for fifty years. The film traces his journey, pieces together the stories of those who knew him, and sifts through the myths which engulf his legacy. While the hermit lifestyle seems outlandish to most, this film shows the value in a life of simplicity and survival.

The film will premiere in New York City on May 30 and be available as a DVD sometime in June (and can be reserved via e-mail now). A trailer is available on the web site Harris has established for the film, plus stills, history, and other information.

Elisabeth Harris has worked on projects for major media firms, including Discovery Channel, PBS, and CBS. She early communicated with Hermitary about the project. The film is a captivating historical documentation with a humane and personable approach.
URL: http://www.thehermitofmanana.com.

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“The Burial of Atala”

An evocative painting in the romantic style of the French painter Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy Trioson, “The Burial of Atala” depicts a scene from novelistRené Chateaubriand 1801 “Atala.” The setting of the novel is North America and the southern Natchez people, but the painting is infused with medievalism and exoticism. The hooded figure burying the young heroine is a French missionary, but the painter presents him as a hermit. Among web sites are: http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/g/p-girodet5.htm and http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=836.

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“Genoveva in the Forest Seclusion”

Adrian Ludwig Richter, nineteenth-century German painter, is known for his romantic and idyllic painting, Genoveva in the Forest Seclusion. The work is a modest depiction of a setting rich in symbol and lore: the forest seclusion is a peaceful, gentle habitation for animals, trees, and humans — even the rock crags are solicitously preserving the serenity of the landscape.

URL: http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/richtera/seclusio.html.