Thank you for your excellent and intimate portrayal of Swamiji. You give a real sense of her spiritual quest and illustrate it beautifully.
Francis Clooney, SJ
Harvard University, Boston, USA
Harvard University, Boston, USA
Beautiful!
Mary Frances Coady
Auteure du livre Merton & Waugh : Un moine, un vieux croûton, et la montagne aux sept étages, Canada
Auteure du livre Merton & Waugh : Un moine, un vieux croûton, et la montagne aux sept étages, Canada
My thanks for L'Aurore du tréfonds which helps me to know better Fr. H. Le Saux, ardent seeker of God alongside Fr. Monchanin, in the heart of the Hindu world!
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin
Archevêque de Lyon, France
Archevêque de Lyon, France
I just watched your documentary. It touched me deeply and brought tears to my eyes... I would like to congratulate you sincerely.
Samuel Jiménez Martínez
Spain
Spain
What a charming film; a great tribute to Swamiji!
Jacod Riyeff, PhD
Université Marquette, Milwaukee, USA
Auteur de In the Bossom of the Father. Le recueil de poèmes d'un mystique bénédictin.
Université Marquette, Milwaukee, USA
Auteur de In the Bossom of the Father. Le recueil de poèmes d'un mystique bénédictin.
Jacod Riyeff, PhD
Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA
Author of In the Bossom of the Father. A Benedictine Mystic's Collection of Poems.
Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA
Author of In the Bossom of the Father. A Benedictine Mystic's Collection of Poems.
Chapel for Europe/Chapel of the Resurrection, Brussels, Belgium
It was a great moment, even a great spiritual shock, and I thank you very much. Beyond time, thanks to you, and no doubt, to what you yourself live in the depths, seeing your film was for me a true spiritual experience.
Dr. Jacqueline Catalogne
Sociologist of religions, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, France
Sociologist of religions, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, France
The film L'Aurore du Tréfonds is a great success... It was very much appreciated as much for its cinematographic qualities (music, shots with its magnificent colors of South India) as for its content, which transports us from one shore to the other thanks to this great ferryman that was Henri le Saux and immerses us in a contemplative state
Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIM Europe)
Fabrice Blée's account of this spiritual pioneer is more like a meditation than a documentary. Silent spaces, beautiful landscapes, peaceful music and various short interviews communicate something of Abhishiktananda's deep longing for God and the environment that called and sustained him on his journey. This is a film that anyone interested in mystical spirituality and interfaith dialogue will enjoy. Highly recommended!
Philip St-Romain
Auteur de Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality et directeur de Shalom Place
Kansas, USA
Auteur de Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality et directeur de Shalom Place
Kansas, USA
Thank you for this "dive" that your film allows in this spirituality of full abandonment, which, without doubt, marries different paths that all need each other not to absolutize themselves.
Gérard Siegwalt
Lutheran theologian and pastor, author of Dogmatics for Evangelical Catholicity
Strasbourg, France
Lutheran theologian and pastor, author of Dogmatics for Evangelical Catholicity
Strasbourg, France
Thank you so much for this beautiful film. The combination of aesthetic sensitivity and religious depth is powerful, making it a moving experience.
Jospeh Prabhu, Ph.D.
Université d'État de Californie, Los Angeles, États-Unis
Université d'État de Californie, Los Angeles, États-Unis
Dawn of the Deep captures the mystery of awakening to the Self (Atman), which is the turning point of sādhana (spiritual quest). The message conveyed by the film is universal and timeless... I sincerely hope that the "dawn" portrayed by Fabrice Blée in this film can rise to the zenith in a sequel that will complete the saga of Abhishiktānanda.
Sudhakshina Rangaswami, Ph.D.
Fort Washington PA, USA
Auteur de The Roots of Vedanta : Une sélection des écrits de Sankara
Fort Washington PA, USA
Auteur de The Roots of Vedanta : Une sélection des écrits de Sankara
L'Aurore du Tréfonds is a striking hymn to the thirst for the Absolute inscribed in the depths of man, a call for dialogue between religions, the quest for a universal brotherhood that passes through the path of interiority; to be discovered and to be discovered, absolutely!
Commune of Montbrun-Bocage, France
Was it simply the music? Was it the beautiful South Indian countryside? Or was it the profound words of Abhishiktananda (Henri Le Saux)? Honestly, I don't know. It was probably the confluence of all these things. Fabrice Blée's film left me speechless and with tears in my eyes. An indescribable feeling of beauty and gratitude. This film is a spiritual Odyssey. It takes you to the threshold of authentic religious experience, beyond words and concepts. The film will echo with your spiritual longing and remind you that you too are called.
Adhyatma Yogi
Psychologist, Ottawa, Canada
Psychologist, Ottawa, Canada
This is a little gem in my video library. I enjoyed everything - very thoughtful script, commentary, camera, editing, beautiful images of Arunachala and the Breton monasteries, choice of quotes from Swamiji's books, interconnections of text and image. I am very happy to have seen this film; thank you very much for making it.
Luděk Mikáč
Photographer, Czech Republic
Photographer, Czech Republic
The film is very pleasant to watch... It was made with impeccable craftsmanship. The viewer's attention is riveted to the screen from beginning to end... Only a gifted filmmaker can produce feature films from the books of the French sage. The film is not exhaustive, but it says what it has to say very well. After spending a good hour with the Swami and his friend Marc in 1972, I am amazed at how the young Fabrice Blée who has never seen Swamiji has brought him to life so powerfully in this film.
K V Subrahmonyan
Hindu hermit, Tiruvannamalai (TN), India
Hindu hermit, Tiruvannamalai (TN), India
Excellent!
Michael Highburger
Mountain Path Journal, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai (TN), Inde
Mountain Path Journal, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai (TN), Inde
You have captured the progression of sinking into the Presence of our dear Abhishiktananda very well and congratulate you.
Françoise Jacquin, author of L'abbé Monchanin, 1895-1957: à l'écoute d'un prophète contemporain
This is really a great job!
Dr. Christian Hackbarth-Johnson
University of Salzburg, Austria
University of Salzburg, Austria
The film is a great success... It was very much appreciated both for its cinematographic qualities (music, shots with its magnificent colors of southern India) and for its content, which transports us from one shore to the other thanks to this great ferryman that was Henri le Saux and immerses us in a contemplative state.
Convergence86
Poitiers, France
Poitiers, France
It is the voice of the narrator that is the most captivating; it makes well the unity from the beginning to the end to make enter the mystery lived by this monk in search of absolute. The music and the sounds are beautiful. I admired the fading of the images, and especially the harmonious adaptation of the images to the words; it's a delight to see the realities signified by the words represented in the viewer's eyes, on numerous occasions. It is as if the photographer was there at the right moment to capture what Le Saux experienced.
Jean-Gabriel Gélineau, OSB
Abbaye Sainte-Anne de Kergonan, Brittany, France
Abbaye Sainte-Anne de Kergonan, Brittany, France
It's a beautiful film. I was touched. Captivating images and a fascinating story.
Dr. Mark Slatter
Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada
Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada
It is truly a beautiful film and each time I watch it, I come out of it always a little more grown up on a personal/spiritual level. It is certainly a strength of the film that it can offer something deeper to discover and understand with each new viewing.
Miles Finlayson
Producteur/réalisateur, Endlessroad Productions, Pinegrove Productions, Toronto, Canada
Producteur/réalisateur, Endlessroad Productions, Pinegrove Productions, Toronto, Canada
Remarkable images and moving music; the audience was transported into a sensual journey, into the whirlpool and maze of the spiritual quest.
Coastal Breeze
Marco Island, Floride, USA
Marco Island, Floride, USA
In his search for God and self, Swami Abhishiktananda became a sannyasi (renunciant), wandering through India in search of holy places and authentic masters. This visually stunning film invites us to accompany him not only on his travels, but also on the inner path that eventually led him to the cave of the heart, where self and God can be found. A magnificent portrait of a great twentieth century mystic.
William Skudlarek, OSB
Dilatato Corde - Revue internationale, Collegeville (MN), USA
Dilatato Corde - Revue internationale, Collegeville (MN), USA
A stunning, well-handled film about the subversive journey of a wandering monk who finds his destiny at the foot of a sacred Indian mountain. Striking images, a skilful direction and an enveloping music support an implausible subject. A film to see.
Jacques Ménard
Film and Television Office Gatineau - Outaouais, Hull, Canada
Film and Television Office Gatineau - Outaouais, Hull, Canada
Amazing and exquisite! The scenes in the film are not only beautiful, they are also full of meaning. Images and words play with each other in harmony, offering a perfect illustration of Henri Le Saux's teaching. Quotes from the Breton monk's writings resonate with the visual; fountains and waves, animals, birds and plants, people and temples reveal the symbolic nature of our world. The result is an opening of the heart. This production is a major contribution to religious film.
Dr. John Dupuche
Université catholique australienne et Université de théologie, Melbourne, Australie
Université catholique australienne et Université de théologie, Melbourne, Australie
This documentary film of rare beauty and poetry introduces us to the heart of Henri Le Saux's spiritual experience, an experience of the call within, of the fullness of the silence that seized him in the sacred mountain of Arunachala. The light and depth of the images direct the gaze towards the Essential beyond signs and appearances, suggesting the mystery of God's Presence in the world. The density of the texts from the work of Henri Le Saux touches the heart and announces the joy of "sinking into this Presence" which transcends all duality. A striking hymn to the thirst for the Absolute inscribed in the depths of man, a thirst to "reach the Mystery in oneself", "beyond everything".
Carole Viturat
Bookseller La Procure, Paris, France
Bookseller La Procure, Paris, France
Wow Fabrice. This film is a pure delight that touches me deeply. I dream of seeing this mountain through the eyes of his heart and mind. I imagine that after such an experience, one never ceases to notice its holy presence always and everywhere.
Richard Boileau
Journalist and spiritual advisor, Canada
Journalist and spiritual advisor, Canada
