Today at ISDSI we were privileged to have a showing of the film “Mystic Ball” and a question and answer session with the filmmaker, Greg Hamilton.

From the film’s website:

Passion suffuses every moment of Mystic Ball, an uplifting documentary about one man’s physical and spiritual quest. The film resists easy categorization – it’s simultaneously a thrilling sports movie, an insightful journey to a new world, and a lyrical personal story.

Mystic Ball follows Greg Hamilton, the filmmaker, deep into the ancient and little-known culture of Myanmar and its traditional sport, chinlone. Like the film, chinlone is hard to define. It’s a team sport without an opposing team, part dance, part meditation. There is no competition, no winners and no losers. The game is back-breakingly difficult, yet is played by almost all Burmese, from young children to octogenarians.

There is a lot to say about the movie, and I recommend it highly.  You can get copies through the website, and it would be a great film to show on campus.  Lots of lessons about culture, and while specific to Burma, I think it resonates with our students who are on a similar sojourn on study abroad — crossing cultures, learning new things, and going outside of themselves to become part of a new community in Thailand.

Here is a clip.  Jump to the website for more: www.mysticball-themovie.com