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Dhamma Brothers, The
Balcony Releasing


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based on 9 reviews
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MPAA RATING: Not Rated

East meets West in the Deep South. An overcrowded maximum-security prison--the end of the line in Alabama's correctional system--is forever changed by the influence of an ancient meditation program. Behind high-security towers and a double row of barbed wire and electrical fence dwells a host of convicts who will never see the light of day. But for some of these men, a spark is ignited when it becomes the first maximum-security prison in North America to hold an extended Vipassana retreat, an emotionally and physically demanding course of silent meditation lasting 10 days. In the words of Sister Helen Prejean (<a href="/video/titles/deadmanwalking">Dead Man Walking</a>), this film, with the power to dismantle stereotypes about men behind prison bars, "gives you hope for the human race." (Balcony Releasing)

GENRE(S):	Documentary
WRITTEN BY:	Andrew Kukura Jenny Phillips Anne Marie Stein
DIRECTED BY:	Andrew Kukura Jenny Phillips Anne Marie Stein
RELEASE DATE:	Theatrical: April 11, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	76 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

TV Guide Ken Fox

It's a truly inspirational piece of documentary filmmaking bolstered by a fine soundtrack featuring the music of Low, New Order and Sigur Ros.

San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein

A mind-boggling documentary.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

It's not necessary to buy into the efficacy of a particular brand of meditative practice to appreciate that some quiet time with their brains could have a salutary effect on men with troubled pasts, but the thoughtfulness and humanity of these inmates is a potent reminder that there's almost no such thing as a lost cause.

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

A thinking-head documentary about finding answers within for those who can’t get out.

Los Angeles Times Gary Goldstein

The contradiction between the peaceful tenets of this Eastern protocol versus the violent world of the prisoners, many of whom are convicted killers, fuels the film with both fierce irony and dark hope.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Much of the running time is devoted to those whose bliss is genuine, complicated, and hard-won, and we're left to wonder what the US prison system would look like if there were a million of these men instead of a handful.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

The film does a poor job of explaining the discipline or how it works, and naively takes the convicts' testimonials at face value.

Variety Ronnie Scheib

Subject matter definitely trumps stylistic nuance in this solid journeyman effort.

Village Voice Julia Wallace

There's no doubt that the Brothers are a compelling bunch, but their story isn't well served here.

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Dhamma Brothers, The Balcony Releasing

Dhamma Brothers, The
Balcony Releasing