Reel Spirit Movie Project
October Film Discussion
My Octopus Teacher
On Thursday, Oct. 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern, the Center’s Reel Spirit Movie Project will discuss the next film in our ongoing monthly series, My Octopus Teacher (2020). This film is an Academy Award-winning documentary about a filmmaker at a crisis point in his life who returns to his old love of free-diving in the ocean by his home near Cape Town in South Africa. A surprise encounter with an octopus, and the year he spent filming her brief life, transforms his views of the animal world and human nature. This film has a lot to show us, not only about the lifespan of a common octopus, but also about how venturing into “alien” worlds ultimately teaches us so much about ourselves.
This month’s discussion will be led by Susan (Susy) Whitcomb, Ph.D. Susy is a retired English professor who taught Medieval and Early Modern British literature, including a course on Shakespeare and Film, at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT, where she was also Director of the Honors Program. Susy founded and directs Haitian Educational Initiatives, a educational non-profit operating in Jacmel, Haiti. She has lived in Brevard for one year and is a regular and eager participant in the Reel Spirit Movie Project.
There is no charge for this event, but participants are asked to consider a donation to Center for Spiritual Wisdom, a non-profit organization. To make a donation, please go HERE to the CSW website. To register for this event or to receive additional information, please email Cindy Decker at communications@centersw.org. Registrations will be received on a first-come, first-served basis. After registration, participants will receive information about the film and a dedicated link to join the discussion.
The format for discussing films on the Reel Spirit Movie Project is both evocative and engaging. The facilitator for the discussion creates a guide that focuses on key themes in the film, and we send this guide to all registrants. Participants begin by watching the film on their own. We follow with a scheduled 2-hour online facilitated discussion that the Center leads and hosts through Zoom.
For more information about My Octopus Teacher, see IMDb here. This film is available on Netflix and you can see the trailer on YouTube here.
Stay tuned for other movie discussions planned by the Reel Spirit Movie Project, including Contact, our November selection.
photo credits: IMDb
