Brother Gordon

Gordon is an African-American who grew up in Harlem with his mother, later joined the army and fought in the Vietnam War. Today, instead of attending war veteran rallies, he helps drug addicts from all over the world kick their habits and find peace in the Thamkrabok monastery in Thailand. The stories of drug abuse told by each patient differ as much as their respective languages. Many locals are addicted to opium because it was the ubiquitous, and only, cure for all ailments and pain in their villages. For most of those who hail from Europe and the US on the other hand, heroin provided an escape from personal problems. Each person receives the same treatment and everyone has the same chance for a complete recovery. Brother Gordon’s own story is testimony that simple life in a Buddhist monastery is open to people of the most diverse fortunes and origin. Though his expressions, intonation and gestures belong to the streets of Harlem, his words of truth and forgiveness are those of a Buddhist monk.

The film will be screened with Say Amen.

The partner of the screening is human rights documentary film festival One World.