documentary Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Evening clouds on the horizon – Photo: L. Weikel

Recommendation

Now that the Olympics are over, Karl and I were forced to find something new to distract and entertain us. And we couldn’t even rely on my discovery last night about Ann Axtell Morris’s fascinating life, since we have to wait another handful of months, at least, before Canyon del Muerto is released. Lucky for me, just the other day I read a friend’s recommendation on FB about a movie I hadn’t even known about.

If you’re like me and harbored a little bit of a crush on Val Kilmer in your 30s (yeah, loved Tombstone – it was a major favorite movie in our household), you need to see the astonishingly powerful documentary, Val. It recently premiered at Cannes and is airing now on Amazon Prime.

This production is essentially a documentary that Kilmer created and narrated as he’s been living his life, although now the narration is given an assist by his son Jack.

I hesitate to reveal much of anything about the film. Not only hadn’t I looked it up ahead of time, I hadn’t even watched the trailer. So I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Val Kilmer and my friends raved about the production. And therefore that’s how I’m going to leave it with you, too.

Familiarity

There’s something familiar to me about Kilmer that touched my heart in this doc, and I wonder if his ‘truth,’ if you will, is what I’ve always sensed no matter what role I’ve seen him portray. Some of his experiences growing up were eerily reminiscent of our own family. (Not mine as a child; rather, ours – Karl’s and mine – raising our sons.) There’s a lot in this film that hit home.

I have to say, it makes me want to binge-watch some of his oldies but goodies. And Amazon just so happens to be featuring many of them.

Give it a look. It’s unique and poignant. I personally feel it should win some major awards. It is extremely well made, powerful, and I have a feeling it’s going to haunt me for a while.

(T-98)

Homework

I’m quite aware how each day, lately, may be feeling like walking through deep, thick mud. As we approach November 3^rd – and its aftermath, because let’s face it, there’s two and a half months that follow the election before the inauguration – each interminable day feels heavier and stickier. This reminds me of the admonition I received, and I think I passed along in one of my posts, that it’s important for us to mind our energy and take care of ourselves throughout this month especially. So, to that end, I have some homework to assign.

No, it’s not like any homework I’ve ever given at the conclusion of one of my sessions. It’s easy and you will be glad you did it.

My recommendation is that, if you didn’t already this evening, take the time to watch the documentary about White House Photographer Pete Souza, “The Way I See It.”

It aired tonight without commercials from 10:00 to midnight on MSNBC. The timing of its released is perfect – just what we need to watch and remember as we approach this election and the fatigue I mentioned above is becoming almost too much to bear.

We must shoulder through and, as cliché as it sounds, keep the faith.

Do yourselves a favor: watch that documentary. You’ll realize why you’re so tired. You’ll remember why you’re working so hard right now. And I have no doubt you will feel a glimmer of hope and faith in the ability of our fellow Americans to reclaim the soul of our country being rekindled in your heart.

We can do this. We did it once. We’ll do it again. But maybe this time we’ll recognize just how incredibly precious it truly is.

Watch – remember – and dream it into being.

(T-406)