"I Am" - the Movie

Web of Life - Sweater Tree (from Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois - a collaboration between artist Carol Hummel and many local knitters.)

Chris and I watch many movies which are commentaries on our current world. Most of them are very articulate about the problems we are facing: hunger, unemployment, poverty, environmental degradation... Most of them have theories about what got us in this mess: Capitalism, Greed, the Educational System... And a few even offer solutions: political activism, local currencies, unschooling...

As we watch these documentaries we are often left with a sense of despair. The problems seem too big; the solutions seem as inconsequential as moving deck chairs on the Titanic -- they try to fix the problem from within the same system (or state of consciousness) that produced the problem in the first place. And as Einstein once said, "You can't solve a problem at the same level of consciousness as it was created." (Or something like that.)

We just finished watching a movie that we found to be incredibly inspiring. It's called "I Am". Here is an excerpt from the film's Home page:

"Ironically, in the process of trying to figure out what’s wrong with the world, director Tom Shadyac discovered there’s more right than he ever imagined.  He learned that the heart, not the brain, may be man’s primary organ of intelligence, and that human consciousness and emotions can actually affect the physical world...And, as Shadyac’s own story illustrates, money is not a pathway to happiness.  In fact, he even learns that in some native cultures, gross materialism is equated with insanity."

I recommend watching this film. I think you will find it inspiring. It will lift you beyond the limited perspective through which you ordinarily look at the world. It made me cry in that good way; from seeing something so true and right. Enjoy!

Here are links to the movie in three parts (80 minutes in all). For best results hover over and click on the YouTube icon in the lower, right-hand corner of the images below. Once on the YouTube page click on the icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen and enlarge the screen to full size.

Part 1 -  "I AM" the Movie Pt 1 of 3

Part 2 -  "I AM" the Movie Pt 2 of 3

 
Part 3 - "I AM" the Movie Pt 2 of 3