Doing Time, Doing Vipassana

Running time: 52’
Production: IND/IL 1997
 
Two women filmmakers from Israel, Ayelet Menahemi and Eilona Ariel, initiated this independent project. In the winter of 1994-95 they spent five months in India, doing intensive research on the use of Vipassana as a rehabilitation method and its dramatic impact on foreign and Indian prisoners. The authorities were unusually cooperative, allowing the team free access to two Indian jails. The documentary begins with the story of Tihar Prison - a huge and notorious institution housing 10,000 inmates, 9,000 of them awaiting trial. When a new Inspector General, Kiran Bedi, was posted there in 1993, Tihar entered period of rapid-fire change.
 

 

Authors:

  • Ayelet Menahemi
    Was born in Tel Aviv in 1963. She graduated with honours from the Beit Zvi School of Stage and Cinematic Arts in 1985. Since then she has been working in the Israeli film industry as a director and editor. In 1986 she directed the award-winning drama "Orvi" which was followed by two feature films: "Abba Ganuv III " (1991) and "Sipurei Tel-Aviv " (1992). Her work has also includes numerous television commercials, short fiction films, documentaries, and music videos.
     
    Filmography:
    Noodle (2007)
    Zmani (2001)
    Doing Time, Doing Vipassana (1997)
    Get (1992)
    Sipurei Tel-Aviv (1992)
    Abba Ganuv III (1991)
    Orvi (1988)

     

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  • Eilona Ariel
    Was born in Israel in 1958. She moved to New York City in 1978 and spent nine years studying and working as a musician. In 1980 she received a diploma  from the Germain School of Photography. In 1983-1984 she was the managing director of the International Production Manual -  Producer's Masterguide. She left the USA in 1987 and moved to Asia, where she spent several years. In 1995 she & Ayelet Menahemi established the production company Karuna Film for which she has produced and co-directed several documentaries, among them the award winning  “Doing Time, Doing Vipassana” (1997) which made a great impact on jail systems all over the world, and won the PASS Award of the National Council on Crime & Delinquency (USA).
     
    Filmography:
    Zmani (2001)
    Doing Time, Doing Vipassana (1997)

     

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Screenings: