SAMA: To Listen coming to Orcas Center

||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER |||

“SAMA: To Listen” follows filmmaker Darek Mazzone, composer Peter Culshaw and entrepreneur musician John Goodfellow as they journey through Turkey, Morocco and Malaysia, engaging with musicians, instrument makers, spiritual leaders, and community elders rooted in Sufi traditions.

Through intimate conversations and immersive musical experiences, the film explores how music functions as a guide toward emotional clarity, humility and connection. A screening of the 90-minute documentary, followed by a Q&A with Mazzone, will be on Sunday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at Orcas Center. The event opens with music from Rafe Pearlman.

“This film grew out of a simple question: what happens when we slow down long enough to truly listen? Not just to music, but to people, to culture, and to ourselves. Traveling through these communities reminded us that tradition is not something we move past, but something we build from,” Mazzone said.

As the three reflect on aging, legacy, and the passage of time, the film gently turns inward, asking what we carry forward and how we remain human in an era shaped by technology and constant acceleration. SAMA: To Listen offers a hopeful, globally resonant meditation on listening as a way of life.

Pearlman, an Orcas resident, started his singing career with the wolves, ravens and sled dogs of the Alaskan wilderness. The wild nature of his exploratory singing has led to performances spanning the globe, from India, Hong Kong, Israel and Germany, to Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Mexico and all across the United States.

Pearlman’s intention with his music is to inspire a vision of a world in harmony and unity, celebrating diversity, sustainability, and equality for all beings. His voice is featured on soundtracks for Netflix, Direct-TV, NBC, Thunder Road Films, and on Sony’s top video games.

For more information, visit www.OrcasCenter.org. Tiered ticket prices are $40, $30, or $20 ($10 student tickets available).