Rumi: Poet of the Heart

What is Islam's relation to Love?

Why is a 13th century Islamic mystic the most popular poet in America?

Experience the teachings and genius of Jalaluddin Rumi.

Rumi, Poet of the Heart

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Five minutes of film available here to view

Surprisingly, the bestselling poet in America today is a thirteenth-century Sufi poet and mystic named Jalaluddin Rumi. For eight hundred years, Rumi’s writings have enchanted, inspired, and enlightened Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists, celebrating the sacred in everyday existence, and transcending boundaries of time, place, and religion.

What makes Rumi's writings so enticing and unforgettable? This episode of Global Spirit explores the power and person of this extraordinary poet through conversation, music and film. Host Phil Cousineau speaks with filmmaker Haydn Reiss about his award-winning film Rumi, Poet of the Heart, which will be shown in its entirety as part of the Global Spirit series. Rumi, Poet of the Heart features Coleman Barks, the pre-eminent translator of Rumi today; Robert Bly, a poet/translator who first encouraged Barks to translate Rumi; author Deepak Chopra; storyteller and mythologist Michael Meade; and religious historian Huston Smith. In addition, Oud virtuoso Hamza El Din and singer Jai Uttal offer inspiring accompaniment to this beautifully produced, lively and provocative exploration of the genius and timeliness of Rumi’s emergence in the West.


LEARN MORE:
Global Spirit Series Website

Rumi, Poet of the Heart official website

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Rumi, Poet of the Heart
About Haydn Reiss

Haydn Reiss 
Producer/director Haydn Reiss’ forthcoming film (July 2009) is “Every War Has Two Losers” based on the writings of poet/conscientious objector William Stafford. Featuring Alice Walker, W.S. Merwin, Robert Bly, Michael Meade, Naomi Shihab Nye, Maxine Hong Kingston, Coleman Barks and others. Linda Hunt narrates. Work for PBS includes "Overture: A Conversation with Lotfi Mansouri", "River of Words" with former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, and "William Stafford & Robert Bly: A Literary Friendship". Mr. Reiss was assistant to director Adrian Lyne on the feature "Jacob's Ladder" and assistant to the producer on Oliver Stone’s "JFK". Mr. Reiss has received grants from the NEA, Poetry Foundation, and the Witter Bynner Foundation for his work. Contact: haydn@zincfilms.com