Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action (2008) User Reviews

Because I said so

[rgcustomer · 6/10 · 5 July 2010]

With the aggressive title "Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action", the viewer is warned that this film is pushing a fuzzy agenda.

Myself, I felt that its message was very strongly being pushed on me, but at the same time I felt that the speaker had little idea what the message was.

The film has interesting documentary components. It's a collection of valuable videos of various protests and actions through time and across the globe. I suspect most of this material is available elsewhere. I'm not sure where else you could see it all in one place, so that has value.

But then there are interviews with folks regarding spiritual activism, or even spirituality, and strong assertions and conclusions are made. Such things are neither proved in the film, nor even defined. Or rather, defined in so many ways, there's not really an answer. It's just the usual loopiness that amounts to "it is what I say it is" and "because". The film never really bothers to identify what is spiritual about any of this, or why it would fail if there was no spirituality (probably because we know it wouldn't fail, despite the narrator's claims to the contrary).

As I see it, you can't get to community without jettisoning your indulgence of spirituality, which is ultimately a limiting thing, tending to isolate people into groups. Community is best achieved by dealing with the common reality that we all experience. The film didn't really address this at all.

The same spirituality that claims to have motivated these actions that I and the narrator appear to favour has also claimed responsibility for some of the worst crimes in the world's history, and continues today. This seems to be touched on very briefly, but not really given serious thought.

Spiritual folks, or those with certain favoured religions, wanting an easy re-affirmation of themselves will probably love this film. The rest of us won't.

Spirituality and activism: incompatible or interconnected?

[take2docs · 6/10 · 20 October 2023]

'Soul force' is a term used throughout the film to describe that which motivates a spiritual conscience toward temporal action, in an effort to make the world a better place to live in. Such action may take the form of participating in marches with the aim of seeing to unjust laws changed for the good, or rallying to the defense of the oppressed. 'Soul force' is therefore to be differentiated from 'spirituality,' even though, ideally, it shouldn't have to be. Whereas the latter is commonly known for its detachment from the affairs of the world, often as a pseudo-noble attempt to transcend (that is, escape) it and its many problems, those with 'soul' regard their physical selves and their wanting to improve the world in some (even small) way as a natural extension of what it means to be human.

Indeed, I would think that the greater conscience a person has would only want to impel a spiritual mindset toward positive action and a direct engagement with the world, and that anything less would be remiss of one and amount to a warped, schizoid view of spirit's relationship to matter.

Which brings to mind something I once read on an online forum; this from a site, of all places, claiming to be totally spiritually oriented and devoted to discussing all things spiritual-related...so as far as discussion does not involve any talk of politics or social causes whatsoever, something which the site administrator/moderators restrict forum members from entering into, considering it as they do out of place and taboo, and using the distorted justification for such a restriction that it's not our responsibility to be concerned with changing the world, since spirit, we are told, is all about living separate from it, on a detached level, or something to that effect. This is a specious argument and nothing more than a cop-out; a shameful excuse to live as do-nothing navel-gazers; a frame of mind that makes a mockery of what it means to be spiritual, in its promoting of an actual anti-spiritual attitude, one that ultimately plays right into the hands of the powers-that-be.

Commendably, none of the spirit-driven activists featured in FIERCE LIGHT can be accused of living with their heads buried in the sand, as if indifferent to oppression and injustice in the world. Several of the men and women whom we hear from in the film speak of their ardent compulsion, an indwelling need to act as ones guided by 'soul force,' whether in the form of community service, performing charitable deeds, participating in peaceful protests, standing up for civil rights, etc. These are people who walk the talk, perhaps no better exemplified than as was demonstrated in the historic Selma march, here highlighted.

The only two-part quibble I have with FIERCE LIGHT is its apparent lack of focus and unexpressed intent, as it meanders somewhat incoherently in its documenting one activist cause after another, at times crossing continents in doing so, without clearly explaining or defining what this 'growing movement' is exactly, which it says is sweeping the world; whether it is organic in nature and motivated by true individual 'soul force' alone or whether this movement is gaining momentum via (worrisome) mass indoctrination, equivalent to a worldwide cult, which to me would be of great concern. There *are* some strictly and entirely partisan-based (read: occasionally misguided) causes, after all, fueled more so by seeing to the implementation of an extremist or globalist agenda than by a genuine regard for either the environment or the welfare of humanity, and that tend to have as spokespersons influential celebrities and other mediagenic figures, employed as they are with the intent of manipulating the masses, as mouthpieces beholden to their socially-engineering handlers.

In the end, I simply do not know what to make of FIERCE LIGHT. That spirituality and activism go hand-in-hand is a given (a principle akin to the Christian teaching of how 'faith without works' is a spirituality rendered useless/meaningless) and so I like the fact that this isn't a film applauding the lives of, say, monks or yogis. And yet, as admirable as 'soul force' is, for me it is only so when clearly differentiated from an ideological-collectivist imposter.

passively uninspiring

[rren83 · 18 May 2009]

This film takes the viewer on a journey through different activist initiatives in order to explore the "new" coupling of spirituality and activism. Ripper has some really good footage and some great interviews... however the film is lacking focus. The idea of spiritual activism is stressed throughout the film, as if it is some new phenomenon. Ripper explains spiritual activism as working toward some greater good or change... well isn't that what activism has always worked towards? Ripper also stresses the importance of passive resistance, but then goes on to explain activists as warriors. Doesn't this defeat the point of showing passive resistance as the epitome of spiritual activism? There is also the issue of Ripper himself. His presence in the film seems unnecessary and detracts from the message of the film. Is it about him or is it about activism? Not to mention his voice is monotonous and slightly annoying.

Although Ripper has some great footage, he uses too much of it. In this case less is more. The film looks at the civil rights movement, the "garden" in LA, the riots in Montreal in 2001, Vietnam, etc. It's just too much and distracts the viewer from what Ripper is getting at... which is a little foggy to begin with.

What is spiritual activism? Why do we care? Why should we care? Ripper doesn't entice the audience to make a change... he is preaching to the choir. The only people who would probably pay to go see this movie are those who are already informed. So what is the audience coming away with at the end? The reconfirmed knowledge that activism is important and that Daryl Hannah sat in a tree for a month. OK maybe that's a little harsh, but we all know what activism is and what it entails. Ripper should have focused on passive resistance as activism by looking at the issue of the garden more in depth- who are these people, what is their story, why do they need this garden, why are they so passionate about it? All in all the film was disappointing.

Restored my faith in humanity!

[icoachyou · 10/10 · 11 January 2009]

I was fortunate to have seen this film at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January 2009. This brilliant film was worth the entire festival. The audience cheered and applauded. It is a must see for any human being who asks . . . "What can I do to make a difference? I was moved to tears of compassion and inspired to take action. Run to see this movie and tell all your friends. Gather in groups to watch the film and remember why you are here. I was filled grace and reconnected to what love in action truly is. Our light is much stronger than any darkness and our determination

to do what is right will always prevail!

Yes this remarkable film is a Human Sunrise.

Path of peace

[carina-honga · 10/10 · 17 May 2009]

There are few films that are so complete that the edges disappear; that engage the entire body in viewing, and leave you palpably shifted. Fierce Light is a remarkable combination of all of these things. Art and heart. It defies conventions of exposition, relying instead on organic unfolding as its voice. In doing so, there is an honest equality in each story and character, Thich Nhat Hahn presented with equal weight as the young girl in South Central Farms. Their hardships and glories speak to a common human experience, and a deep undisturbed peace; calmness within the storm, from which creative and positive social action can arise. In this way, Fierce Light points to a path of peace that preexists the difficulties of the modern world, one that has not wavered in the wake of killing and fear, on which we have been standing together all along. Now, we are urged emotively, it is time to walk it.

Disappointing

[random_guy2 · 2/10 · 13 June 2009]

I saw this film at the Waterfront Film Festival, and found it quite disappointing. Ostensibly, the film was an attempt to link spirituality and activism. Sadly, the spirituality in the film amounted to little more than the hollow postmodern rejection of any structured belief system and vague embrace of "tolerance". In a similarly disappointing vein, the activism envisioned by the filmmakers was nothing more than generally pointless (and often very vague) political protest. It was somewhat fitting with the hopeless, oblivious idealism of the film as a whole that it ended with a group chanting "We are here and we are not leaving" ... on the anniversary of having left the south central LA garden a year earlier.

Overall, the film came across as an attempt to seem deep to the more simple-minded viewers, but could fairly easily be recognized as hollow by everyone else.

Good Medicine

[vanessarichards · 9/10 · 19 May 2009]

Thank you for the effort, insight, chutzpah and grace it took to make this film sing the way it does.

The content and characters were compelling. I felt fortified afterward. Thank you for that.

One of the messages sticking with me was John Lewis and his stand for love - in the face of it all. The set up for his scene with the shots of the memorial sculptures in the South with the dogs was a powerfully imaginative way to let those sculptures come alive. The artist/s would have to be thrilled to see their work re-viewed like that.

This kind of film assists one/me in falling in love more deeply with people. I like and need to be reminded about the deep goodness that abides. I especially appreciated the long close-ups that felt like still lives till the person looked up, down or smiled. That was living portraiture.

What would it have taken for the developer to be touched? How do we/us affect change in the hearts that hold so much of a certain kind of power? How does one move them towards the common good? That's a skill set we need to master now.

Does contain some important interviews e.g. Thich Nhat Hanh

[markus45169 · 5/10 · 21 September 2012]

The Netflix blurb said the film would "explore the concept of spiritual activism" and perhaps 50% of the content reasonably approximates that, which is why I gave it 5 out of 10. Meanwhile, the other 50% is documentary footage of typical left-wing protests and causes, such as anti-free-trade, presented from the protester's point of view.

Naturally, your right-wing nutbars are going to hate this film and your left-wing nutbars are going to love it, as evidenced by the gushing praise I've read so far in most of the reviews. But what if the viewer is not highly polarized and politicized? After all, I'm not American. (That was a not-undeserved shot.) I share values of community, "we're all in this together" and so on; but I also understand economics: free trade is good for the poorest people.. although not for barely literate autoworkers making $50/hr (including benefits). How do non-leftists participate in this spiritual activism?

Has a cumulative power that makes real the possibilities for our planet

[howard.schumann · 9/10 · 24 May 2009]

Dedicated to his friend Brad Will who was killed while filming protests against the State repression of a teacher's strike in Oaxaca, Mexico, Canadian filmmaker Velcrow Ripper's Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action is a celebration of those willing to take action in support of their spiritual beliefs. The film is the second installment of a trilogy on spiritual activism of which the 2004 award winning film Scared Sacred was the first. As to the motivation for the film, Fierce Light, Ripper says, "I began to look around and realize that my spirituality and my activism had been so separated, it was almost a schizophrenia in my life, so I felt the need to bring that together." After the opening segment in Oaxaca when Brad is tragically killed and Ripper's life is endangered by State Police, the film explores Mahatma Gandhi's "soul force" and Martin Luther King's "love in action" as the guiding force behind the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. The film shows the walk from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery and the violence and tear gas the marchers encountered along the way.

Civil rights activist, now congressman, John Lewis, says even after being beaten and left for dead on the Bloody Sunday March of 1965 in Selma Alabama, hatred and violence were never an option. Lewis recalls Martin Luther King saying to him, "we just gotta love the hell out of them." Ripper talks about the civil rights struggle in these terms, "What struck me most was that this was movement rooted solidly in love. Not the hallmark love that we have come identify with the word, but a fierce love, a love of unrelenting compassion, of unwavering nonviolence." Ripper's camera also takes us to India to visit the Dalit community formerly known as "untouchables", to Nobel Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa, to the farmers in South Central Los Angeles and the protesters like actress Daryl Hannah and tree sitter Julia Butterfly Hill who sat in trees and marched and sang to defend the farmers right to grow their crops on a piece of land slated for development, and to visit with Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hahn as he leads the movement for reconciliation in Vietnam. There is also a segment on Buddhist teacher, author and counselor Noah Levine whose book "Dharma Punx" describes his awakening to compassion after a youth spent with drugs and violence.

Ripper interviews spiritual activist and author Gloria Jean Watkins known as bell hooks and has this to say about the meeting, "Fierce Light for her is awareness, fierce compassion, fierce love, opening to that which is, fully. The sacred is to be found in every moment, not in an isolated context, not in some distant enlightenment. It is in the flash of a red cardinal across the sky, in the new blooms of a lily in her garden." The focal point of the film, however, is the struggle by the South Central Farmers of Los Angeles to protect their 14-acre community farm in an industrial area in south Los Angeles from developers. In that farm, 300 families, mostly Latino, grew more than 100 varieties of fresh food and healing herbs for their community from 1994 until 2006.

Ripper shows the protests of singers Joan Baez and Willie Nelson, Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Danny Glover, and Daryl Hannah, and politicians such as Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinich against the order to vacate the land and the tears that flowed freely when the bulldozers came. While showing examples of people who put their bodies on the line for a cause, the director makes it clear there is not a single standard for activism. "When I talk about activism in the film and spirituality in the film", he says, "it doesn't have to be in any way, shape, or form the more visible forms of activism. It can be just the way we live our lives, how we relate to people, coming from a place of compassion." Fierce Light can become a bit cloying at times but it has a cumulative power that makes real the possibilities for our planet. While there will always be risk involved in taking action for one's beliefs, in the words of Anais Nin, "And the time came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." That time is now.

"I don't like his voice"

[stevendecastro · 5/10 · 14 May 2015]

It's difficult for me to dis this perfectly well-meaning guy with committed, if vague, political and religious beliefs. The first five minutes of the movie were the strongest, and yet they also revealed the film's flaw. At the start we learn about the filmmaker's friend, who went to Chiapas to film a peaceful protest and was shot. Afterwards, the foreign journalists all left, and the lone filmmaker, our narrator, stands alone against the stormtroopers. That is when my wife said, "I don't like his voice."

But why not? His voice is perfectly fine. I think it goes to the larger issue, which is that every filmmaker has a voice, just like every writer has a voice. And this voice is a little too centered on the filmmaker. When the filmmaker faced off against the troops, he said "I was scared." That kind of on-the-nose writing is a real buzz-kill.

Because when a stranger tells you "I'm scared," the first thing most people think of is, "You're probably just a wimp." A movie shows, it's not supposed to tell. A horror movie is not a description of a scary event, a horror movie is supposed to scare you, or its not a movie. And anyway, what is the filmmaker, a white American, what business does he have being scared? The people of Chiapas, talk to them and you will hear about how scary it is. After all, you did take a plane to get there.

So that's the problem, in a sense. A self-narrated piece has a dangerous tendency to accidentally portray the narrator as the hero in their own story, and in a documentary where people's lives are at stake, that can seem a little selfish.

Film-making at its inspirational best

[lbarrett-5 · 10/10 · 18 May 2009]

As a long-time activist and some-time film maker, I attended Velcrow Ripper's latest film with an open heart and a critical mind. The subject matter is so important to express in a widely accessible way yet, in a world where we are necessarily kept from accessing this point of view, it will be a miracle if we can see this high quality film taken up for broad distribution and viewing. You, dear reader, can make that miracle happen if you insist that this film be show in your town, wherever that may be.

Fierce Light honours a diverse selection of activists who have committed deeply, fiercely and lovingly to initiating and following through with compassionate actions that create the world we need right now. From the famous and well-known personalities to people we may never hear of again, Fierce Light captures beauty and love in the faces and words of people just like we are in our collective dream of a world of peace and justice.

There Is Hope...

[muckablucka · 10/10 · 18 May 2009]

Gives hope and direction to all of those who feel they are alone in this world wanting things to change for the better. After finishing the film I felt like maybe there's a chance that humanity will make it through the current world crises and that is no small accomplishment! Fierce Light has taken social action and activism going on all over the world and through history and connected it all into a web of inspired action that transcends politics and religion. After seeing this film I feel less alone and more hopeful, like the world has many genuinely spiritual people trying to make the world a better place whether they label themselves that way or not. A truly powerful documentary and work of art with masterful direction and sound design.

Benign reality by amazing world leaders

[aleksandrarocks · 6 June 2009]

This movie is excellent. If you want to think about the world without sinking into hopelessness this is the movie you should see. Velcrow Ripper seems to be always at the right place and the right time, but more importantly, in this movie he brings to the crowds the leaders with cutting edge thinking for the future of this world. An army of amazing thinkers and simple ideas that will inspire you and leave you with a feeling of belonging. The content is charged with positive messages, conveyed in words, and strong images. Unique moments stolen; I felt so privileged to take a peak in the past, when these events were happening, moments that I would have never been part of.

This documentary is abundant with information and insight, and above everything, a clear, strong vision of possibility-when spirit meets action.

Velcrow Ripper online to Answer Your Questions

[Canuckfilmbuff · 9 October 2009]

A great way to interact with this film is to join The DVD Club - it's like a book club but for film, and is a part of First Weekend Club - a non-profit organization that promotes Canadian film. For October, Fierce Light is the Official Selection, and Velcrow, Cher Hawrysh (producer) and activist/journalist Judy Rebick and artist/activist Carly Stasko are online to answer questions and spark debate.

The DVD Club is free to join and is a fantastic way to extend the life of Canadian film beyond the cinema release date! First Weekend Club is a cross-Canada organization that promotes and celebrates great Canadian film. Check it out at www.firstweekendclub.ca/DVD-club