Product Description Morgan Atkinson’s film of Gethsemani is a journey to a foreign place hidden in the heart of Kentucky, but a place with a message our world is crying out to hear. It is an extraordinary film about an extraordinary place. -Dr. Paul Pearson, Director, Thomas Merton Center ‘Gethsemani’ is an honest and compelling look at the monastic life. I appreciated that it neither romanticiized or trivialized this valuable vocation. ‘Gethsemani’ is a viewing experience that enriches on several levels and I’d recommend it to anyone interested the spiritual life. -Fr. Ronald Knott, Director, Vocations Office, Archdiocese of Louisville. Reviews I had wondered what was holding this country together, what has been keeping the universe from cracking in pieces and falling apart. It is this monastery.” So said Thomas Merton the acclaimed spiritual writer when he first visited the Abbey of Gethsemani. Located in rural Kentucky it is often seen as a place of mystery. Granted remarkable access Atkinson probes this mystery by examining the rhythms of everyday life at Gethsemani. The result is a compelling and unforgettable portrait of a unique way of life. Morgan Atkinson’s film captures beautifully the rhythms of monastic life at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani. Weaving together individual interviews with extensive footage of the monks at work and at prayer, Gethsemani explores with respect, insight and appealing touches of humor both the unique vocation and the essential humanity of these contemporary representatives of an ancient, still vital tradition. Dr. Patrick F. O’Connell, editor of the Merton Seasonal and the Thomas Merton Encyclopedia (This) is truly one of the finest independent productions we’ve seen here. Craig Cornwell, director of production for Kentucky Educational Television
