Carving the Divine offers a rare and intimate insight into the daily life and the creative process of modern-day busshi – practitioners of a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition.

Filmmaker Seki Yūjirō’s camera follows Master Seki Kōun as he interviews candidates applying for apprenticeship. Once he makes his selection, viewers are taken on a journey to witness the struggles of the novice apprentice, observe the entire guild working together to create breath-taking works of art and get a glimpse into the rites of Shingon Buddhism.

Los Angeles based director Seki Yūjirō’s documentary has won awards at 12 festivals worldwide, including the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at the Milan International Filmmaker Festival and Best Documentary at the Buddhist Arts and Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado.

This film is in Japanese with English subtitles. Duration: approx. 100 minutes. Find out more about Carving the Divine on their website.

Guests who are booked to attend the screening can also enjoy 10% off drinks at The Stand on their way in.