Educational Outing Provided Eye-Opening Experiences for Participants
Last month’s educational outing from the Department of Educational Services within the Optimum Performance Institute provided program participants with some eye-opening and life-changing experiences.
They recently attended a viewing of the documentary and artistic masterpiece; Samsara. Samsara is sensory experience that does away with words and replaces them with music and visual shots of the world that we live in. It takes the viewer on an expedition around the globe, revealing the mundane to the miraculous. With underlying themes of the human experience in different societies, Samsara examines the contrast and similarities between all humans and their environments.
The film was shot using 70 mm film in over 25 different countries and took five years to make. After the viewing, the Director of Educational Services at OPI led a discussion amongst the group and gave each of them an opportunity to express their reactions and feedback. Below are two of the responses that were shared:
“The film was absolutely stunning. The dichotomies of the world were revealed with grace and beauty. It really helped that I knew about most of the issues and locations used in the film, as that background made it easier to understand what the film was trying to convey. However, even if you didn’t have that background information, the cinematography was spectacular, and everyone can appreciate that kind of beauty. I love that OPI gives us the opportunities to do educational outings, as I love learning and becoming more culturally aware.”
“This movie opened my eyes to the rest of the world. In the United States we are so sheltered to what else is going on around the world that we don’t understand entirely how awful things really are. Culture is a big part of every country; I think the director was just trying to convey the message to Americans that things are different everywhere in the world and we need to have an open mind and do what we can even if its something small to make a change. To me, it showed that once I take care of myself I need to pass that on and take care of the world. I am ready to join the fight to making the ENTIRE world a better place.”