''Doing Time, Doing Vipassana'' is a 1997 Israeli

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

project by two women filmmakers from

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Ayelet Menahemi Ayelet Menahemi (; born 1963) is an Israeli film director, producer, writer, editor, and actress. Life and Works Menahemi was born in Tel Aviv in 1963. She attended Beit Zvi School of Stage and Cinematic Arts, graduating with honors in 1985. ...

and Eilona Ariel. The film is about the application of the vipassana meditation technique taught by

S. N. Goenka Satya Narayana Goenka (ISO 15919: ''Satyanārāyaṇa Gōyaṅkā''; ; 30 January 1924 – 29 September 2013) was an Indian teacher of '' vipassanā'' meditation. Born in Burma to an Indian business family, he moved to India in 1969 and ...

prisoner rehabilitation A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a sentence in priso ...

Tihar Jail Tihar Prisons, popularly known as Tihar Jail, are a prison complex in India and are one of the largest complexes of prisons in India. There are 9 functional prisons spread over more than 400 acres. Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, the prison ...

in India (which was reputed to be an exceptionally harsh prison). The film inspired other correctional facilities such as the North Rehabilitation Facility in

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to use Vipassana as a means of rehabilitation.

Kiran Bedi Kiran Bedi (born 9 June 1949) is a former tennis player who became the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972 and was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 28 May 2016 to 16 Februa ...

, former Inspector General of Prisons for

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, appears in the film.

Reception

''Doing Time, Doing Vipassana'' received an average score of 64 based on eight critics at

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. It received a 71% rating based on 14 reviews at

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. The ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'' wrote of the film winning the Golden Spire Award at the

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...

when noting its 2005 theatrical release. They praised the film, writing it had "distinct virtues: It tells a fascinating story. It makes a strong case for an alternative approach to incarcerated criminals. And it provides an attractive introduction to Vipassana meditation." ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'' gave the film two out of five stars, and generally panned the film, stating that the directors "fail to really get inside the heads of their subjects and to seriously convey the extent to which violence plays a role in their daily lives, choosing instead to follow the process with which Vipassana comes to the prison community and holds its prisoners in rapture." They felt the film's repeated use of "hyperbolic narration....strains to summon a sense of spiritual gravitas" and that the filmmakers brevity and informational tone made the film "something akin to an Epcot Center attraction."

Awards and nominations

* 1998, winner of 'Golden Spire Award' at the

* 1998, winner of NCCD Pass Award from the American National Council on Crime and Delinquency * 2000, winner of 'Gold Illumination Award' at

Crested Butte Film Festival The Crested Butte Film Festival is a celebration of international films, held annually over four days in the last weekend of September, in Crested Butte, Colorado. History Celebrating it's 15th Anniversary in 2025, the Crested Butte Film Festival ...

* 2000, winner of 'Silver Award' for best documentary at Crested Butte Reel Fest

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title Israeli documentary films 1997 films Documentary films about psychology Films shot in Delhi Documentary films about the penal system Documentary films about India Penal system in India Prison religion 1997 documentary films 1990s English-language films English-language documentary films

Reception

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links