Carving the Divine: Filmmaker Yujiro Seki documents the Buddhist sculptors of Japan - Lion's Roar

LION'S ROAR
By Andrea Miller

Syakanyoraizou. Work by Koun Seki.

Artworks depicting buddhas and bodhisattvas are wordless teachings. In their facial expressions and gestures, we can see what we’re aiming for in our lives and practice—be it compassion, equanimity, meditative focus, or even wise anger. But who are the people who create these contemplative artworks? In Carving the Divine, a new, award-winning documentary, we meet some of these artists. Specifically, we’re offered a rare and intimate look at the lives and artistic process of traditional Japanese wood carvers. In this interview with director Yujiro Seki, he reveals what compelled him to make this film and what he learned in the process. [More]