Transcendental Media
Film still from Day of a Stranger

Day of a Stranger

2021 | 31 min

Credits

Director
Cassidy Hall
Producers
Patrick ShenCassidy Hall
Cinematography
Patrick ShenCassidy Hall
Editor
Patrick Shen

Day of a Stranger is an intimate portrait of a world-renowned mystic and author during his final years living in solitude from 1965 until his shocking death in 1968. As a Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton became a prolific writer and was in dialogue with some of the twentieth century's most influential figures, luminaries such as D.T. Suzuki, Rachel Carson, Henry Miller, Thich Nhat Hanh, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Dorothy Day.

Interweaving meditative images of his hermitage nestled deep in the woods of Kentucky and rare audio recordings he made in isolation, the film pieces together a glimpse into the consciousness of one of the twentieth century's most brilliant minds.

Selected Screenings & Awards

  • Illuminate Film FestivalAudience Choice Award – Best Short Film
  • Speed Cinema [Louisville, KY]
  • Buddhist Shorts Film FestivalOfficial Selection

Trailer