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"Mission: Joy" Film Screening

Deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Mission: JOY is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances.

Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, the film showcases the exchange between these two Nobel Peace Prize winners that led to that book.

Consisting largely of never-before-seen footage shot over 5 days at the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala, the film invites viewers to join these luminaries behind the scenes as they recount stories from their lives, each having lived through periods of incredible difficulty and strife.

With genuine affection, mutual respect and a healthy dose of teasing, these unlikely friends impart lessons gleaned from lived experience, ancient traditions, and the latest cutting-edge science regarding how to live with joy in the face of all of life's challenges from the extraordinary to the mundane. Mission: Joy is an antidote for the times.

Facilitator: Marianne Rowe
Friday, February 11
5:30 - 8:00 pm Pacific
By donation

Registration closes 2 hours before the event begins.

We offer this film screening free of charge and we encourage you to honor “Arch” with a donation to The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, which carries-on his work in the spirit of ubuntu. Of course, if you prefer, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.


Marianne Rowe is a Founding Teacher of Monterey Bay Meditation Studio, a Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, Ecotherapist, Authentic Relating Facilitator, and Certified California Naturalist, who focuses on healing and transformation through awareness and connection. Read more.

This event is part of the Mindfulness Pathway.

This event meets online via Zoom.

Having a space that is quiet and where you are not likely to be interrupted will contribute to a more beneficial experience for yourself and all participants. Co-creating a container of respect and presence for this conversation will enhance the benefits of this experience for each and all of us.

For this offering:

  • We recommend that, if possible, you view this event on a PC or laptop so that you have access to Gallery view and can see all the participants.

  • We also encourage you to keep your video on so that a sense of community and engagement is cultivated.

Registration Policies (please read) 


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