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A Serious Man: Finding Purpose & Meaning in a World with No Answers

For the month of July 2010, SWIVL recommend the film, A Serious Man.  A Serious Man tells the story about one person’s search for answers to existential questions about the purpose of life and its meaning.  In many ways the film it is a philosophical and theological wrestling match where history intersects with the future to determine the present.

A Serious Man is a modern day story of the biblical figure, Noah.  For Noah, storm clouds are on the horizon. A funnel cloud threatens to return creation to chaos. Apparently this is a fitting punishment for a society bathed in violence and bloodshed. We all know that Noah hearkens to God’s commands; he builds an ark and helps animals enter two by two. But who is Noah before the flood? What is the young Noah like?

In his book, Sages and Dreamers, Elie Wiesel, recipient, paints a picture of Noah as a character who leaves much to be desired. He never acts, he only reacts. He never aspires to grandeur; he is mired in routine. To paraphrase Jean Paul Sartre, he took great events and reduced them to small circumstances.

However, when the storm hits, Noah is all action. Ignoring the calamity around him, he builds an ark. Noah is responsible for his family; he cares for the animals and is committed to life. This is Noah at his best. He is selfless, devoted, and tireless.

A Serious Man reminds us that though we may kick and scream, though we may protest or try to hide, there are times when despite our best effort, we cannot stop or change the future. In those instances, rather than holding back the flood, we must use our energy to find a new sense of purpose – to respond to problems when seemingly no solution exists. 

This is the lesson that the main character in A Serious Man must learn.  Although life may be disorienting, cruel, and indifferent, we must still be responsible, self-reliant and resilient.  Life is not necessarily finding answers to our problems. It’s about living with them. In the words of poet Ranier Maria Rilke: Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves … Perhaps then, some day far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way to the answer. 

Moving from theory to practice, the 1946 book, Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl chronicles his experiences as a inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of finding a reason to live. According to Frankl, We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. 

We can learn a lot about purpose and meaning from Wiesel and Frankl: compassion, sympathy, and care.  We can also learn about purpose and meaning from the film, A Serious Man.  Perhaps, more importantly, however, we can unlearn much of what we think we know.

Israel: Guilty Until Proven Guilty

For the month of June 2010, SWIVL enters the world of YouTube to show the media bias towards Israel even in the face of solid evidence.   SWIVL provides videos for your review that distinguish fact from fiction.  In a world where the media is more interested in theater than the truth, individuals are able to judge for themselves through primary video sources.   The result is that people are becoming more and more skeptical of the media as they are able to see events through their own eyes.

Media Unable to Ignore the Evidence: When confronted with compelling video evidence, many media outlets have been unable to contest the images of Israeli soldiers attacked with clubs, iron poles and knives.  The UK's Channel 4 News invited a British naval analyst and counter-terror expert to analyze IDF footage:

Facts Supporting the Videos: In the aftermath of Israel's raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, during which Israeli naval commandos were attacked and several passengers were killed, the media provided non-stop coverage with both information and misinformation. The following backgrounder sorts out the facts from the falsehoods.  Continue reading.

The primary aim of the Gaza flotilla was not to provide humanitarian relief; it was to cause a provocation with Israel. Its top organizers and some of its participants are radicals with ties to terrorist groups that sought a violent confrontation.  Netanyahu: "Israel Is Guilty Until Proven Guilty"

 

  

Probably the best example of how the international community has and continues to be manipulated by the anti-Israel public relations machine is a parody on We are the World.

THE WITNESS – One Person’s Journey to Say No to Violence, Cruelty, and Fur

For the month of May, SWIVL is proud to recommend a film that portrays both the best and worst of the human spirit while offering hope, renewal and the miracle of transformation.  THE WITNESS, one person’s journey that can change the world, shows how each person has the power to do good things and change the living conditions for those among us that are abused, tortured and left to die alone and afraid.

In the award-winning documentary, THE WITNESS, Eddie Lama explains how he feared and avoided animals for most of his life, until the love of a kitten opened his heart, inspiring him to rescue abandoned animals and bring his message of compassion to the streets of New York. With humor and sincerity, Eddie tells the story of his remarkable change in consciousness.

THE WITNESS has been an official selection in 32 film festivals where it has received eight awards for Best Documentary and two for Best of Festival.  The film has been translated into 11 languages, including Russian and Chinese. 

Best of all, you do not need to go to your local video store to view THE WITNESS.  Click here to begin viewing.

Hachiko: Loyalty Transcends Life

Each month SWIVL recommends a special film that offers a message of compassion, responsibility, and loyalty.  For the month of April, SWIVL is especially pleased to suggest a film that is not only great for the entire family; it is a wonderful teaching and learning tool for children.  Hachiko: A Dog's Tale  is an elegant American adaptation of a Japanese tale about the power of positive, caring relationships: the story of a loyal dog named Hachiko and his companion friend.  Click here for trailers.  The film dramatically describes how Hachiko – an Akita – accompanies his friend to the train station every day and return each afternoon to greet him after work.  One day Hachiko’s companion departs, passes away and never returns to the station. Hachiko faithfully returns to the same spot at the station the very next day, and every day for the next nine years to wait for his beloved life-long friend. During his daily visits, Hachiko touches the lives of many who work near and commute through the town square. Hachiko teaches love, compassion and above all unyielding loyalty.  Click here for the original Japanese film. Today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya station in Japan as a permanent reminder of his devotion and love. More:  Meet me at Hachiko: The real life story.

Bella Gives Us a lot to Talk About

How about a film that promotes the importance of the family, a strong work ethic, and a sense of compassion based on friendship, respect, and responsibility. Bella is a film that shows how life can dramatically change in a single moment - the blink of an eye - and how we make our own second chances. Bella shows us that while there may be violence all around us our world is not a violent place. The potential for ViolenceFree always exists. This is a film that weaves multiple and subtle themes of love, loss, and friendship into a story which tell us that we might forget our dreams, but they never forget us.