As part of CJSF's coverage of the Vancouver International Film Festival, volunteer Alisha Edgelow reviews Fierce Light, a film worth seeing when it returns to Vancouver...

“A film really isn’t born until its viewed with its audience”

 These were the words of acclaimed filmmaker Velcrow Ripper just moments before the premiere of his film, Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action; indeed this feat was accomplished with a thrilling standing ovation from a packed theatre, leaving me with chills up my spine and a tear in my eye.

 This emotionally and spiritually charged Canadian Documentary features a vast compendium of up close and personal conversations with inspiring intellectuals, politicians, activists, visionaries and spiritual leaders.

Artist, writer and culture jamming activist Carly Stasko dances to the rhythm of clamoring commotion during the Anti-Globalization protest at the Quebec City Summit of the Americas in 2001. The revolutionary bell hooks reminds us that love is born from understanding and offers us extraordinary words of wisdom to live by. The beautiful actress Daryl

Hannah even camps in a tree with Julia Butterfly Hill and Joan Baez to protest the tragic demolition of the largest rural garden in North

America. On the lighter side, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa brings the audience to laughter when he admits to Ripper that God must indeed have a sense of humor since he creates such funny looking creatures including himself and still has to love them.

 The testimonials and stories throughout this film break barriers cross-culturally and bring our attention to the marginalization and challenges of people internationally, and how they resist power to stand up for their rights and the rights of others. While some moments are heartbreaking this film inspires both hope and the course of action to make change, with a holistic approach to compassionate spiritual activism that is derived from love. 

 “If we want to end the war in the world we have to end the war in ourselves” this is another of the many mantras that is echoed in this truly inspiring film.

Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action (2008)

Director Velcrow Ripper

Producer Cher Hawrysh

Big Picture Media Corporation

The National FIlm Board of Canada

www.fiercelight.org