Merton: A Film Biography

Jan 1, 1984

0h 57m

★ 8.7

Overview

In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.

Genres

Documentary

Merton: A Film Biography Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Narrator (voice)

Alexander Scourby

Thomas Merton (voice)

Gregory Abels

Self

John Barber

Self - Int. Fellowship of Reconciliation

Jim Forest

Self

Robert Lax

Self - Scholastic under Merton

John Eudes Bamberger

Self - Scholastic under Merton

Flavian Burns

Self - Publisher

Robert Giroux

Self

Naomi Burton Stone

Self - Publisher, New Directions

James Laughlin

Self - Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians

Jean Jadot

Self - Nicaraguan Minister of Culture; Novice under Merton

Ernesto Cardenal

On June 9, 2024, during the European elections, over half a million young voters backed Jordan Bardella, while others turned to Marion Maréchal. A new generation of leaders is emerging, reshaping old ideological foundations. From the youth wing of the Rassemblement National to student unions and Reconquête’s activists, we followed these key figures as they campaigned their way to the gates of power.

7.0

Jorgenrique

Jun 28, 2010

Documentary about ecuadorian writer Jorge Enrique Adoum.

6.0

Yo soy Arturo Fernández

Jul 7, 2019

A gentle portrait of the mythical Spanish actor Arturo Fernández (1929-2019) in the hour of his passing, in his own words, through his latest interviews, not previously broadcast, and the words of those who knew him thorough decades of charming and good performance on stage, his true home, as well as in cinema and television.

9.0

Waiting for Beckett

Jan 1, 1993

Biography and in-depth look of Beckett and his work.

9.0

Where are you, Adam?

Sep 12, 2020

The plot of the film unfolds in the ancient monastery of Dokhiar on the west coast of Mount Athos, on the Aegean peninsula. This peninsula is given to the exclusive use of the monks of Eastern Christianity. Images of nature are woven into a virtually uninterrupted series of work and prayer, lining up in the rhythmic interrelation of man and nature. The central figure of the film was the monastery’s elder, Hegumen Gregory, whose long-term experience of spiritual nourishment rewarded him with a deep understanding of the human soul and her desire to return to the state characteristic of Adam’s human nature before the fall.

6.5

The Basque Ball: Skin Against Stone

Oct 3, 2003

An attempt to create a bridge between the different political positions that coexist, sometimes violently, in the Basque Country, in northern Spain.

0.0

Prosa y verso de una identidad

Mar 15, 2020

A group of writers from Hidalgo get together to generate their works and create a community around literature.

5.9

The Capote Tapes

Sep 10, 2021

A portrait of the brilliant American writer Truman Capote (1924-84) and the New York high society of his time.

No Image

7.2

Nobody

Jan 13, 2017

Half blind and half deaf, ostraziced Cuban writer Rafael Alcides tries to finish his unpublished novels to discover that after several decades, the home made ink from the typewriter he used to write them has faded. The Cuban revolution as a love story and eventual deception is seen through the eyes of a man who is living an inner exile.

7.8

Athos

Jun 23, 2016

The Athos peninsula in Greece is one of Europe's last secrets. Over 2000 monks live on Athos - cut off from the outside world. Access is denied to women, tourists are not welcome. Only workers and pilgrims can obtain a visa. The "Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain" attracts people who feel like they are missing something from their modern lives. With the help of three Athos monks, "Athos - A Taste of Heaven" tells the story of the island and its inhabitants in a unique filmed diary style. The film's guiding theme is the path we as people have to find and follow - each and everyone for themselves. "First we must heal our own souls, only then we can help others", is one of Father Galaktions core messages. He lives as a hermit on the holy mountain. Not all monks, however, live as secluded and demure as Father Galaktion. The film team is also received by Father Epiphanios - a gifted and poetic cook who certainly does not disdain the pleasures of life.

0.0

The Long Road Through Balkan History

Jan 1, 2009

Bosnian Croat writer Miljenko Jergović and Serbian writer Marko Vidojković replace one another by the steering wheel of Yugo, a symbol of their common past while driving on the Brotherhood and Unity Highway that stretched across five of six republics of Yugoslavia.

0.0

A Penny Weighs More Than a Soul

Dec 12, 2026

"A Penny Weighs More Than a Soul" is a powerful documentary by Tobias Demetz (TD Films) that takes viewers deep into the untouched nature of the Dolomites. The story centers on the extraordinary life of Ulrich Senoner, who lives far from modern civilization at the secluded Malga Futura. Without electricity or running water, he embodies a nearly forgotten human resilience. This film is a visual tribute to the silent strength of a man who chooses the wilderness over comfort, showcasing the fragile balance between Alpine tradition and a rapidly changing world.

7.0

Religulous

Oct 1, 2008

Commentator-comic Bill Maher plays devil's advocate with religion as he talks to believers about their faith. Traveling around the world, Maher examines the tenets of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and raises questions about homosexuality, proof of Christ's existence, Jewish Sabbath laws, violent Muslim extremists.

0.0

Van Morrison: One Irish Rover

Mar 16, 1991

One Irish Rover, a documentary focusing on the words and music of Van Morrison, was broadcast in 1991 on BBC 2 Arena TV special and on A&E cable television program. It is a series of live songs with commentary by Morrison about music and poetry, it has some truly amazing performances. It includes the footage of Morrison and Dylan in Greece, Georgie Fame at Ronnie Scott’s, John Lee Hooker, The Chieftains and Danish Radio Big Band.

7.8

The Take

Sep 3, 2004

In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed ceramics workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act - the take - has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head. Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy, the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale.

10.0

Thomas Hardy: A Haunted Man

Mar 5, 1978

Drama documentary from 1978 exploring the private feelings of novelist Thomas Hardy through the poems of love and remorse that he wrote after the death of his first wife, Emma.

9.5

Buddha Wild: Monk in a Hut

Apr 16, 2008

Buddhist monks open up about the joys and challenges of living out the precepts of the Buddha as a full-time vocation. Controversies swirling within modern monastic Buddhism are examined, from celibacy and the role of women to racism and concerns about the environment.

No Image

0.0

With God in Russia

Jan 1, 2004

Having survived 24 arduous years imprisoned in a camp in Russia -- without hope of freedom, either physical or religious -- Father Walter Ciszek receives his just due as a hero and inspiration in this documentary. Soon after his tale of courage and conviction was finally brought to light, this legendary priest helped reignite the Catholic movement in Russia, as evidenced by the faithful followers profiled in this moving film.

6.0

Memorias de Borges

Jun 22, 2015

Documentary about the life and work of Jorge Luis Borges, from his own memories and reflections.

0.0

Bortom hagan

Jan 17, 1988

Documentary about Lars Theodor Jonsson who was a cross country skier in the 1920s and 30s and now lives alone in the forest.