Hare Krishna(1967)

Hare Krishna is a short film that captures a vibrant afternoon in New York City as members of the Hare Krishna movement fill the streets with chanting and devotional song. Filmmaker Jonas Mekas documents the scene with his signature freewheeling, observational style, creating an impressionistic portrait of spiritual fervor and communal expression. Shot with the spontaneity and intimacy that defines his work, the piece later became part of Mekas's larger experimental film Walden. Rather than imposing narrative structure, Hare Krishna embodies Mekas's participatory approach to cinema—one that immerses viewers in lived moments and captures the raw energy of urban spiritual practice. The film stands as both a historical document of 1960s counterculture and a meditation on faith, community, and the possibilities of avant-garde filmmaking.