‘Waking Life’ next Movies With Spirit Screening

STONE RIDGE – The intriguing, funny, animated drama fantasy “Waking Life,” about a young man having philosophical discussions while in a lucid-dreamlike state, is the next Movies With Spirit screening, at 7 p.m. June 17 at Vivekananda Retreat, Ridgely, 101 Leggett Road in Stone Ridge.

The distinctively styled documentary and fiction combo focuses on the young man (Wiley Wiggins), who wanders through a succession of dreamlike realities. In each, he consciously observes his experience and has deep, insightful discussions with characters he encounters. The characters range from quirky scholars and artists to everyday restaurant-goers and friends.

With lively humor and warm humanity, the unnamed young man and the characters he meets discuss a range of issues, including free will, life’s purpose, the fundamental nature of reality, existentialism, situationist politics, posthumanism, the film theory of French critic André Bazin and lucid dreaming itself.

“If there was ever a film that made ontological exploration fun, this is it,” says critic Peter Rainer in New York magazine.

“Exhilarating, transporting, funny and haunting,” says Stephanie Zacharek in Salon.

“Thoughtful, provocative, liberating and fun,” says Desson Thomson in The Washington Post.

“A wondrous talky roundelay about and for people who love life,” says Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune.

“Tailor-made for multiple viewings,” says Rene Rodriguez in The Miami Herald.

The film was shot using digital video, and then a team of artists using computers drew stylized lines and colors over each frame, creating an animated overlay.

The 2001 film, which won five critic and film-festival awards, including a New York Film Critics Circle Award for best animated film, runs 99 minutes and is rated R.

The film’s trailer can be found on YouTube at tinyurl.com/Waking-Life-Trailer.

The Stone Ridge screening will be followed by a facilitated discussion. Refreshments will be served.

Attendees over age 12 are asked to contribute.

“Like ‘My Dinner With Andre’ and other appallingly smart movies, this one reminded me that I need to read more books and watch less television,” says critic Bruce Newman in the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News.

“As delirious, discombobulating and queasily funny as a post-pizza dream,” says Jan Stuart in Newsday.

The monthly Movies With Spirit series, organized by Gerry Harrington of Kingston, seeks to stimulate people’s sense of joy and wonder, inspire love and compassion, evoke a deepened understanding of people’s integral connection with others and with life itself, and support individual cultures, faith paths and beliefs while simultaneously transcending them.

The films are screened in diverse houses of worship and reverence across Ulster and Dutchess counties at 7 p.m. on the third Saturday every month. The series has no religious affiliation.

For more information about “Waking Life” and the rest of the series, contact Harrington at 845-389-9201 or at gerryharrington@mindspring.com. Details are also available at movieswithspirit.com and facebook.com/MoviesWithSpirit.