AGONY – Cassidy Hall

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Cassidy Hall

Author • Filmmaker • Photographer • Podcaster • Human

Tag: AGONY

2 Posts

Art, Creativity, Intention, listening, monastery, pilgrim, reminders, solitude, Writing

The Way of Love; The Way of the Outlaw

February 1, 2019 — 0 Comments

Art, Creativity, Heart, Intention, listening, pilgrim, Writing

Creating From The Wound

July 28, 2017 — 1 Comment

Author

Cassidy Hall

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French cherry picking loot 🍒🇫🇷🧺

"No matter where in the world he may be, no matter what may be his power of protest, or his means of expression, the poet finds himself ultimately where I am. Alone, silent, with the obligation of being very careful not to say what the does not mean, not to let himself be persuaded to say merely what another wants him to say, not to say what his own past work has led others to expect of him. The poet has to be free from everyone else, and first of all from himself, because it is through this “self” that he is captured by others. Freedom is found under the dark tree that springs up in the center of the night and of silence, the paradise tree, the axis mundi, which his also the Cross." Thomas Merton

On January 31, 1915, Thomas Merton was born in Prades, France. The home where he was born still stands at the corner of Rue du 4 Septembre and Rue du Palais de Justice. Nearby is a Benedictine abbey, St. Michel de Cuxa, which Merton writes of fondly. ________________________________________________ “My Father and Mother came from the ends of the earth, to Prades, and though they came to stay, they stayed there barely long enough for me to be born and a get on my small feet, and then they left again… There were many ruined monasteries in those mountains. My mind goes back with great reverence to the thought of those clean, ancient stone cloisters, those low and mighty rounded arches hewn and set in place by monks who have perhaps prayed me where I now am. St. Martin and St. Michael the Archangel, the great patron of monks, had churches in those mountains. Saint Martin-du-Canigou; Saint Michel-de-Cuxa. It is any wonder I should have a friendly feeling about those places?” Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain #ThomasMerton #Prades #France

Wandering around the Monserrat Monastery in Catalonia, Spain. Founded in the 11th century, this abby is known for their Black Madonna said to have been found in the 9th century, and then named the patron of Catalonia on September 11, 1881 to commemorate 1,000 years of the monastery’s existence. Also a Camino de Santiago stop! #BlackMadonna #Monserrat #Monastery

These past couple weeks I’ve gotten to sit in the chair next to my buddy and genius-guy, @patshen as we edited (and by we, I mean he) my directorial debut, Day of a Stranger. Yesterday we watched a rough cut of the culmination of two production trips to Thomas Merton’s hermitage, hundreds of hours of listening & contemplating, days of sitting with all the material we've gathered and researched, and what happens when two aligned artist work together side-by-side—challenging, questioning, and meditating on the words and place of Thomas Merton’s final years (1965-1968). After watching this near 30-minute piece of art, I turned to Patrick and simply said “I’m really proud.” Words I use sparsely and sparingly, but words I certainly mean. To make this film to be not about Thomas Merton, not about his specific hermitage, but the humanity and ground of being of each and every person was a tall, tall task. But. I think we are accomplishing that, I hope we are. And I hope everyone who will eventually see it can reflect on the infinite spaciousness of the hermitage within themselves. For more, check out our facebook page, Day of a Stranger, or sign up for our mailing list at dayofastranger.com #ThomasMerton #TimeLapse #documentaryfilm #FinishTheFilm

“You aren’t going anywhere—you’re where you are.” –Thomas Merton, the hermitage tapes

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Filmmaker and friend, Patrick Shen
In Pursuit of Silence, Documentary Film
Author and friend, Maggie Ross
Author and friend, Carl McColman
Author and friend, Gordon Oyer
Filmmaker and friend, Brandon Vedder
Author and friend, Christopher Pramuk
The Inner Room
Author and friend, Jessica Mesman Griffith
The Sick Pilgrim Blog
Author and friend, Daniel Horan, O.F.M.
Author and friend, Jim Forest
Author and friend, Pico Iyer

© 2019 Cassidy Hall

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