joko beck | nothing special

Only a few Zen teachers actually embody the Zen quality of "nothing special" with such a remarkable presence, clarity, and simplicity as JOKO BECK, author of the wellknown books of "Everyday Zen" and of "Nothing Special". This documentary gives a unique glimpse into Joko Beck`s teaching, her daily life, and work.
It is fascinating to watch and listen to a Zen teacher who has touched so many people's lives with her down-to-earth wisdom and compassion. As Joko says, "When every moment of your life is your practise, there is then an erosion of the ordinary way of seeing things. We are trying to get some magic at the end and ignore all the hard training that needs to go in-between. Practise is a road you go down, not a place you get to."

In the early sixties, Joko studied with Hakuun Yasutani Roshi and Nakagawa Roshi. In 1983 she became the third Dharma Heir of Maezumi Roshi. Since then, she is teaching at the Zen Center of San Diego.


		Claudia Willke
		Director and Producer
		M.A. in literature and political science (Tübingen) M.A. in film studies (Hamburg) section: documentary
		Willke Film
		founded in 1987 in Hamburg specialises in the development, realization and production of short and full-length creative documentaries focuses on portraits and other documentaries in the field of the arts, music, philosophy and society collaborates with TV-channels, film funds, international co-producers and distributors has production experience in Europe, Africa, Japan and Northern America
		Selection of realized productions:
	1991:	Come Dance with Me
		80 min., 16mm 1st prize for a documentary at the International Dance Screen Frankfurt 1991 Jury Award at the Leipzig Documentary Festival, 1991 Ecumenical Award at the Leipzig Documentary Festival, 1991 Women's Association Award, International Documentary Festival, St. Petersburg, 1993
	1992:	The Conquest of Emptiness
		45 min., 16mm rated "especially worthy" by the German Board of Film Censors shown at several international festivals in Germany, Switzerland, USA
	96/97:	Enjoy Your Symptom
		52 min., Beta SP shown at international festivals in Germany, Slovenia
	1998:	Have You Seen The Moon?
		60 min., 16mm/Video shown at international festivals in Germany, Japan, Italy
	2000:	Nights of Long Shadows
		60 min., Beta SP, 16:9 German-French-Norwegian Co-Production
	2001:	Living with The Gods
		58 min., Digi-Beta, 16:9 German-Austrian Co-Production
	2001:	Nothing Special
		52 min., Beta SP, 16:9


	Idea:	Sandy Burd
	Director:	Claudia Willke
	Camera:	Thomas Luechinger
		Pablo Santiago
	Sound Recordist:	Sandy Burd
	Music:	Elizabeth Hamilton
		Bob Holst
	Montage:	Claudia Willke
		Margot Neubert-Maric
	Sound Mixer:	Uwe Haas
	Produduced by:	Willke Film
	Supported by:	Filmwerkstatt Kiel
		© 2001


	design:
	Judith Adam
	java script:
	Jutta Wohl
	Kristin Baitis
	html:
	Stephanie Schütt