“Simple and beautifully filmed, this is Into Great Silence meets Enlightenment Guaranteed.” (Freer Gallery of Art)

Quietly compelling, Zen for Nothing is filled with moments of pristine beauty and meditative calm, as well as humor and humanity. We follow the experience of a Swiss novice, Sabine, as she arrives at the Antaiji Zen monastery, hidden in the lushly wooded mountains on the west coast of Japan. As she is swept up in the community’s rhythms, we steep in their religious practice, studies, and daily chores. But there are also picnics, loud music, dancing, and Wi-Fi—and a lot of warm conversation and laughter. Quotes from renowned 20th-century Antaiji abbot Koda Sawaki are interjected throughout, shedding light on this simple, yet often elusive, practice.