Tricycle | Awake in the World

To title anything—a poem, a painting, a novel, or a film—with a well-known Zen koan (a riddle or nonlogical formulation) is to invite incredulity, tough scrutiny, and rigorous comparisons. It would be, to say the least, a brave gesture for most artists. But to attempt to embody the challenge of the koan itself in the work as well begins to suggest hubris—or genius. More »

IN Samsara: Death and Rebirth in Cambodia, Ellen Bruno retells a Cambodian Buddhist prophecy as scenes of Phnom Penh move in silent slow motion: "A darkness will fall on the people of Cambodia. There will be homes but no people in them. There will be roads but no travelers upon them. The land will be ruled by barbarians without religion. There will be blood in the streets as to touch the belly of an elephant. Only the deaf and the mute will survive." This chilling vision, brought to life during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, is quietly, affectingly portrayed here while voices of Cambodian survivors tell their stories. Clearly shaken and deeply hurt, these people are shown rebuilding their lives and evidencing a resilience and dignity that draws on the very beliefs challenged by the holocaust. More »