Bodhidharma's Shoe - Tom Davenport

Film by Tom Davenport
Produced by Tom Davenport
Cinematographer: Tom Davenport
Sound:
Editing: Tom Davenport
Copyright: 2008, Tom Davenport
23 minutes, Color
Original format: Hi8, 2008

Bodhidharma's Shoe

Bodhidharma's Shoe is director Tom Davenport's personal account of a seven day intensive Zen retreat (sesshin) at Bodhi Manda Zen Center, Jemez Springs, New Mexico. He intercuts various drawings by Giei Sato - published in the book Unsui: A Diary of Zen Monastic Life - with video images of the retreat.

The Bodhi Manda Zen Center maintains many of the original Japanese traditions, which makes the place quite rigorous and conservative. Tom's monotone voice-over explains us what it is all about and gives us an inside view on his personal relationship with the practice. He shows us how difficult it is to not talk, sit for hours at a time and meditate. To explain this he enriches his story with various anecdotes from old Zen masters.

It is a pretty interesting documentary on Zen teachings in America, but what it most definitely lacks is atmosphere. It is merely an account on the seven days, nothing more, nothing less. This makes it ok to watch, but not so memorable at all.