Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal - Three Films By Ken Burns

Toward the end of "My Dinner With Andre", Andre Gregory stresses the sacramental nature of marriage, work, and life itself, as well as the need to cut out all the noise that prevents us from experiencing pure being. These three short films do just that for the viewer, as artist & philosopher William Segal talks about his own spiritual practice, and the ways in which every aspect of his life is part of & and an expression of that practice. But don't think that "talks about" is the same thing as a dry lecture -- no, these three films are an ongoing meditation -- in fact, they are themselves an eloquent expression of Segal's practice, as captured by the patient, unhurried eye of filmmaker Ken Burns.Contemporary life is increasingly fast-paced, moving at an overwhelming rush, filled with noise & distractions. Silence is becoming a lost art, even as the necessity for it becomes ever more important. Most people are swept up on the onrushing torrent of society, which so often concentrates on the superficial & trivial, when what they so desperately need is to stop & simply listen to the silence without any expectations of instant gratification. The listening isn't the means to an end, it's an end in itself. Segal offers his own life as a lesson we might do well to follow -- not in blind imitation, but as a reminder to discover who & what we are in the midst of that vast silence, stripped clean of the inanities of everyday living, which we delude ourselves into thinking are so vital. For those who seek that knowledge born of silence, these three films will reward repeated viewings -- most highly recommended!

This is an amazing set of three videos. Ken Burns really captured the gift of Mr. Segal to humanity . I’m grateful to Mr. Burns for bringing his superb sensitivity and film making skills to recording Mr. Segal’s voice, movements and comments.

Some acquaintance with W. Segal helps and his commentary in this video expands on his example of neoplatonic, deeply natural life experience.

Most knew William Segal as a philosopher and student of Gurdjieff. While much of the visual focus of Burns' three short films is on Segal's art, it is Segal's singular voice, perspective and commentary that are the real stars of the series. Touching on aspects from diverse areas of philosophy, Christianity, Buddhism and "The Work" of Gurdjieff, Segal and Burns present a 70-minute primer on solitude, silence, meditation, seeing, searching, being and interacting with the world - and most importantly the people - around us. Ken Burns and his editing staff did a fanatastic job with the look and feel of this work - second only to how effectively they used Segal's presence and words to carry the full 70 minutes. For those who find themselves asking the question "Who am I?" I cannot recommend this DVD highly enough as a starting point in their search.

I saw part of this video on PBS. It was intriguing. It is a Ken Burns thing, but has nothing to do with the Civil War.I enjoyed seeing the entire three parts. It's strange to hear what sounds like a New York accent in Paris, but that's what the guy is about.

very wel done and captured William Segals creative self..

Filmed throughout the streets of Paris, Segal talks about his life and the practices he uses to live in the moment, embracing everything arond him. We see are own reflections countless times a day. Probes the question "Who Am I ", causing you to reflection on your own life.Intellectualy stimulating! Don't pass on this!

The newest member of Ken Burns' American Lives collection is someone of our own time for a change, artist William Segal. The fact that he lived all but 4 years of the 20th Century is an accomplishment in itself. In this collection of 3 shorts (each less than a half hour in length) with no other voices but Segal's to tell the story, we learn about his search for the meaning of life and how he used his paintings to convey it. Granted it's a shorty for our man Ken. The cover art pitches the disc at approximately 73 minutes for the whole thing combined, which makes it not much longer than Brian's Song 71, or either of the 2 (or 3 if you count the Cathy Lee Crosby fiasco) pilots of Wonder Woman, and the last time Ken tackled anything short was back in his early days (Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty). In addition, you have to play them one at a time on the disc from the menu (no play all option). Each film has it's own closing credits, so you can see Ken made them at different times, and was waiting for a time to piece them all together. The impression I get is while Segal's work will probably not get the recognition it deserves in the major galleries of the country let alone the world, he mainly wanted show his interpretation of what the 20th century meant to him and leave a legacy for those who of us who would live to see the new 21st Century. Not necessarily a money legacy, as one of my childhood heroes, David Hartman said back in the PBS series turned college telecourse "Seasons of Life", but just something that says "I was here, I mattered". By making as one of his last friends at the end of his life, our favorite PBS documentarian extraordinaire, he found someone to show his story in film that would do just that. For decades, Ken has been showing us films that "wow" us, tell us things we didn't know, and introduced to subjects and people that made an impact on us as ourselves and as Americans. With Seeing, Searching, Being, he tackles the concept of "Who am I?" something we all ask ourselves at one time or another. In the years to come, this may end of being remembered as "Kenny's Klinker" but hey after 30 years of over 20 made for PBS films ranging in length from an hour to over 20 hours, he is entitled to one. At least he does get the point across with what he was trying to do here. William Segal will probably not be spoken in the same circles as Rembrandt as we enter the second decade of the new 21st Century, but at least his quest will not end in vain. His legacy can now be seen by all. Seeing, Searching, Being or more appropriately. William Segal, he was here, he mattered.