Details | Crows Are White Friday, August 19, 7 p.m. In person: Ahsen Nadeem, director; Aaron P. Proffitt, Professor of Japanese Studies, University at Albany Get your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crows-are-white-tickets-388083437007 “I’ll be honest with you, I’m a fantastic liar,” announces Ahsen Nadeem at the outset of his autobiographical documentary. The son of devout Muslim parents who want him to settle down with a nice Muslim girl, he has secretly married an American, non-Muslim woman and is afraid to tell them. Seeking spiritual guidance, he travels to a secretive Buddhist temple in Japan where the monks practice extreme acts of physical endurance. But the only monk who offers help is an outcast himself who prefers heavy metal music and sweet desserts to the rigors of monastery life. As their friendship evolves over the course of five years, Ahsen comes closer to telling his parents the truth. This charming film strikes a balance between weighty issues of faith and familial loyalty with “lovely oddities and gently loony surprises” (Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter).Join us for a post-film discussion with Nadeem and Aaron P. Proffitt, an expert in the Buddhist sect depicted in the film. (Dir.: Ahsen Nadeem, United States, 2022, 97 min., DCP, English and Japanese with English subtitles) Image courtesy of Memory |
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